The Ministry of Jesus Christ

 

When Jesus started His public ministry, He did not call the learned Rabbis. He called fishermen, tax collectors, shepherds, farmers, shopkeepers... the common man. The Gospel of the Kingdom is foolishness to the high and mighty intellectuals. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:17-18. 

 

Five Things Jesus Never Said

1. Ignore the Sabbath Day, I changed it to the Sunday.

2. I came to destroy the Law and the Prophets.

3. I promise you will go to heaven if you believe in me.

4. Don't worry about enduring tribulation, I will rapture you.

5. To honor me, hunt Easter eggs and celebrate my birthday.

Five Things Jesus Did Say

1. The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. ~ Matthew 12:8

2. Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. ~ Matthew 5:17-18

3. I came to announce the Kingdom of God on earth. ~ Luke 4:43

4. He that endures to the end will be saved. ~ Matthew 24:13

5. Jesus told Paul to remind His followers to observe the Passover. ~ 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

 

In Matthew 16:19 Jesus tells His disciples (who later became apostles): "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then in Matthew 19:28, Jesus promised the apostles: “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration*, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

*Regeneration refers to the future renewal of the heavens and the earth when Christ returns. It is synonymous with the "restoration of all things" (Acts 3:21) and the ultimate creation of the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21:1). The new Jerusalem comes down from heaven as the permanent capitol city of the Kingdom of God. ~ Revelation 21:2. We don't go to heaven, heaven comes to us. That's the Gospel (Good News) that Jesus preached. What does your Church teach?

 

Jesus does not call the trained in organized religion, He trains the called. You learn nothing from Jesus Christ if you think you are right all the time. Jesus came to rescue people from religious organizations and announce the Kingdom of God.

 

What About People Who Are Not Members of a Church?

The Roman centurion came to Jesus asking Him to heal his paralyzed, suffering servant. When Jesus offered to go to his house, the centurion replied that he was not worthy of a visit. Instead, he acknowledged Jesus' ultimate authority, saying, "But only say the word, and my servant will be healed." (Matthew 8:8). He compared Jesus' spiritual authority to his own military command: when he gives an order, it is instantly obeyed.

Another Mention of "Great Faith"

There is only one other person in the Gospels whose faith Jesus explicitly calls "great": the Canaanite (Syrophoenician) woman in Matthew 15:28. She begged Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter and refused to be discouraged, prompting Jesus to say, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." (Matthew 15:28).

Great faith does not come from Church membership. Neither the Roman Centurion nor the Canaanite women were members of a church. They heard about Jesus and had faith that He could work miracles. When anyone, regardless of Church affiliation, acknowledges Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, their faith is always rewarded.

Jesus never promised His followers a "mansion in heaven", He promised a Kingdom on earth. One reason people have a hard time believing the Gospel (Good News) is because it seems too good to be true. A man named Jesus/Yahshua claims to be the Son of God, comes down from heaven and is birthed of a virgin, grows up like any other human, takes all the sins of the world on Himself, dies on a cross, rises from the grave, promises to resurrect all people from the dead, and offers them eternal life in the Kingdom of God!? Yeah, right... that's too good to be true.

So, organized religion created a "reasonable" Jesus. He loves you, but will send you to an ever-burning hell if you mess up. He will not resurrect you, He will "rapture" you. You must belong to the "right" church or you will burn in hell forever. You must go through certain rituals, wear your collar backwards, pray, light candles, give 10% of your income to a Church, celebrate His birthday, and hunt Easter eggs to honor Him. Now that makes sense to the carnal mind. We can handle that "truth."

 

Basically, Churchianity teaches the same lie that Satan told Eve: "You will not surely die, you will go to heaven and be like God." All the "bad" people will spend eternity in an ever burning hell. These two doctrines meet will overwhelming approval by many Churchgoers. Jesus said: Broad is the way that leads to destruction. 

Churchianity says if you are not a member of our "one and only true church," you have no hope of salvation. Jesus says in Mark 9:38-41..."if they are not against us, they are on our side." Was Cornelius a member of any church? Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation (or denomination) whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." ~ Acts 10:34-35 

To organized religion it seems right to incorporate a Church name, have an earthly headquarters, put up building, hire a preacher, and go into business, but what seems right may not be right. ~ Proverbs 14:12

Jesus told Peter, "Feed my Sheep," not feed my shepherds. You don't need money to feed Sheep the Word. As it is written: "Freely you have received, freely give." ~ Matthew 10:8

 

Jesus did not incorporate His Church and hire men to preach. As it is written: The general assembly of God and church of the first-born are registered in heaven (not a corporation registered on earth) ~ Hebrews 12:23. Jesus did not build a "church" building, have altar calls, teach the "sinner's prayer," have a "praise and worship team," teach earthly riches, or observe pagan holidays. God is not confined to Temples or Church buildings. He chose the human heart as His dwelling place. As it is written: "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" ~ 1 Corinthians 3:16 

Jesus teaches that the Sabbath Day and the Feasts Days are part of the New Covenant. 

In the Kingdom of God (both current and future),

the Sabbath is an eternal ordinance instituted at creation, while Feast Days, particularly those described in prophetic texts like Ezekiel 45-46 and Zechariah 14, are observed as memorials of salvation and times of worship. The weekly seventh-day Sabbath represents a perpetual rest, while the Feasts, such as Tabernacles, signify the fulfillment of God’s dwelling with humanity. 

 

The difference between a Church member and a Disciple of Christ is: a Church member follows the doctrines of their denomination, a Disciple follows Jesus Christ. ~ 1 John 2:3-6

Have you ever heard your Pastor teach these things? When was the last time you examined what you believe and why you believe it? Are You a Truth Seeker?

 

You are cordially invited to share your Christian experience with Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group 

The purpose of this post is to get people to think about what they believe and why they believe it, not debate who's right or wrong. To learn the revealed truth of God we must know and understand the true meaning of the words God inspired to be written. Use Strong's Concordance to check the original word before it was translated. Do your own research, make up your own mind, rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you.

 

 

Triumphal Entry

 

The

Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem serves as a popular modern parable about pride and ego.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the donkey thought it was all about him. The people were cheering, they laid down palm branches so he would not get his hoofs dirty - it was so exciting! 

While the Bible doesn't describe the donkey's thoughts, the story is often used to illustrate how easy it is to mistake the "glory" of a moment as our own doing, rather than realizing we are simply the vessel or "beast of burden" carrying something much greater. 

After Jesus got off the donkey, we never hear about the donkey ever again. As the saying goes, "If the donkey thought the cheers were for him, he was sadly mistaken when he returned to the stable alone." 

Carrying the Gospel of the Kingdom to every nation and making disciples is the duty of all Christ-Followers. ~ Luke 9:23. We carry Jesus with us when we accept His gift of salvation. It is never about us, it's always about Jesus and His finished work at the cross. When we become a new creature in Christ, our old sinful nature is never heard from again. 

However, we still live in the flesh, and the flesh is prone to want what it wants. In Romans 7:21–23, Paul admits the battle between flesh and spirit in his own life: “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” Each battle with temptation is won or lost based upon how fully we are surrendered to the control of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16–17)

The book of 1 John was written to Christians. The apostle says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8–9). It is clear from this passage that even those who have begun the process of new birth and redeemed by the blood of Jesus will still sin. Through thought, attitude, or action, we will “grieve” (Ephesians 4:30) and “quench” (1 Thessalonians 5:19) the Holy Spirit at times. But this passage also reassures us that God offers continual, ongoing grace whenever we agree with Him about our sin and ask for His cleansing.

Other passages clarify the boundaries of this ocean of grace. First John 3:6 says, “No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him.” Verse 9 says that those who have been “born of God” will not continue to live sinfully. The implication is that this is not a matter of trying harder. Rather, it is the equivalent of saying, “A fish cannot remain on land for long because its nature is to seek water.” A fish could flop onto the shore and survive for a short time. But it was not made for land and cannot continue there. When we obey God, our nature changes, and we cannot continue in sin. Christ not only erases our past sin; He also transforms our hearts so that we no longer desire to sin. (Colossians 2:13–14)

 

 

You are cordially invited to share your Christian experience with Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group 

The purpose of this post is to get people to think about what they believe and why they believe it, not debate who's right or wrong. To learn the revealed truth of God we must know and understand the true meaning of the words God inspired to be written. Use Strong's Concordance to check the original word before it was translated. Do your own research, make up your own mind, rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you.

 

 

Deity of Jesus Christ

 

 

Above - a Tiny Glimpse of the Awesome Works Created by God through Christ. | Photo by Henry Chen 

 

The Deity of Jesus Christ By Dr. James Bruggeman • 27 Mar 2026

 

Notice the first definition: 1) beginning, origin. Not once have the KJV translators chosen to use the word origin for arche which would have been the correct choice in this case. In fact, the word origin or originator is not found at all in the KJV.

Yes, I am pointing out a shortcoming in the KJV. And I state this with full cognizance that I am still in the beginning stages of demonstrating in a series of essays (blogs) why we recommend the KJV as one’s primary reading and study Bible.

Despite having been accused of being “King James only” by another minister, I have never advocated for using the King James Version exclusively. This deficiency in the KJV is one of numerous examples why I encourage every believer and Bible student to follow this admonition.

KJV 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Therefore, to preclude those with Arian tendencies from thinking that this verse supports the Christ-as-a-created-being position, this verse could and should have been rendered thusly.

Bruggeman Translation: Revelation 3:14 And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the Originator [or Source, First Cause] of the creation of God:

Here are a couple of other versions as examples:

Ferrar Fenton Version (FFV): Revelation 3:14 To the messenger to the assembly in Laodicea write: “Thus says the Veritable, the Faithful and True Witness, The Beginner of God’s creation.”

New Revised Standard  Revelation 3:14 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God's creation:

“Origin” being understood there to be the Originator. For Christ was/is the  Originator, the First Cause, the Creator of everything, as confirmed here.

KJV Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

And do not let that phrase “firstborn of every creature” cause any doubt of the deity of Christ either; that is a separate study in itself. I could go on for many pages, but alas, the clock waits for no one.

 ~End

 

You Are Cordially Invited to Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group

 

 

SAVE Act

 

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the SAVE Act, is a proposed United States law that would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require "documentary proof of United States citizenship" to register to vote. 

Here are screenshots of posts which Trump Re-Truthed earlier today, February 18, 2026 

In response to the DEMS, yes, the SAVE Act will suppress certain groups from voting... like foreigners and dead people.

~END~

 

MLK Project

 

 

I want to commend Chad Jackson, a fellow Texan who is a black American, for his documentary on Martin Luther King Jr...  https://www.facebook.com/chad.jackson.3910829

When Dr. King was alive and at the height of his popularity, I lived in Atlanta and saw first hand how he was able to manipulate the black community. I never considered myself a racist, but there was something about MLK that just did not seem right. I could never put my finger on it until I ran across Chad's videos on Facebook. A white man could never critique MLK because it would be dismissed as racist. Chad lays it all out in a factual manner.

Everything we thought we knew about Martin Luther King Jr is a lie. Even his birth name... 

Martin Luther King Jr's

birth name was Michael King Jr.; his father, Michael King Sr., changed both their names to Martin Luther King after a trip to Germany where he was inspired by the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. The name change was made official in 1934 when King was five years old, though he was still known as "Mike" to many. 

 

• Born: Michael King Jr..
• Name Change: His father, Michael King Sr., changed their names to Martin Luther King and Martin Luther King Jr. to honor the reformer.
• Official Record: The name change was officially revised on his birth certificate in 1957.

America, and the world at large, has been deceived about religion and politics, however, in God's timing much is being revealed.

 

The key Bible verses about everything hidden being revealed are found in the Gospels, particularly

Mark 4:22, Matthew 10:26, Luke 12:2-3 and Luke 8:17, all stating that nothing secret or hidden will remain so, but will eventually come to light, often with parallel passages emphasizing that what's whispered in secret will be proclaimed publicly. These verses encourage transparency and trust in God's ultimate revelation, reminding believers that all things will be exposed and known. 

 

 

You're cordially invited to share your Christian experience with Renew Your Strength Bible Study Grouphttps://mlf1070.blogspot.com/2021/01/renew.html 

 

 

 

Time To Remember

 

 

When Moses delivered the Ten Commandments to the Israelites camped in the desert at Mount Sinai, the 4th commandment said: Remember the Sabbath day. ~ Exodus 20:8

 

I am not a Seventh Day Adventist, never have been. But I can read the Bible and see with my own eyes that the Sabbath is mentioned over 170 times in Scripture; so it must be important. 

The Weekly Sabbath and the Annual Sabbaths are Signs of Covenant Identity 

•  It shows the world that Yahweh is the true God and people who obey Him are His distinct people. ~ Exodus 31:13
• Like a wedding ring, keeping the Sabbaths serves as an ongoing public symbol of a binding commitment.
• The Appointed Times of the Lord are a "perpetual covenant," ensuring each generation remembers their God.

There was no question about which day of the week is the Sabbath Day until organized religion got involved. By the way, there is no such thing as a "Jewish Sabbath" or a "Christian Sabbath." The Sabbath was made for all mankind." ~ Mark 2:27 

Remember is a verb: remember; 3rd person present: remembers; past tense: remembered; past participle: remembered; gerund or present participle: rememberin

g. Have in, or be able to bring to, one's mind an awareness of someone or something that one has seen, known, or experienced in the past.

So what was God telling us to remember in the past? The word "Sabbath" appears around 172 times in the Bible.

The phrase "first day of the week" appears

eight times in the New Testament of the Bible. Yet most of Churchianity can only remember the eight times and totally forget the the 172 times. 

 

Manasseh was a son of Joseph and the grandson of Jacob/Israel. His a Hebrew name means "causing to forget" or "God has made me forget," It seems Churchianity has a lot of Manasseh Christians who have forgotten not only the weekly Sabbath but the annual Sabbaths of the LORD (YHWH). 

The Sabbath day in the Bible is the seventh day of the week (Saturday on the Gregorian calendar), commanded by God as a holy day of rest from work, worship, and spiritual reflection, commemorating His rest after creation (Genesis 2:2-3) and serving as a sign of His covenant with Abraham  (Exodus 20:8-11). While Old Testament law strictly enforced the seventh-day Sabbath, false teachers taught Christians to gather on the first day (Sunday) to honor Jesus' resurrection. 

 

Sunday keepers like to site Acts 20, particularly verse 7, to justify taking communion instead of Passover. They take "upon the first day of the week" and "came to gather to break bread" out of context. The Disciples of Jesus Christ kept the Sabbath on the 7th day as commanded. On Sunday they came together to break bread, a common meal, not the Lord's Supper or "communion," because Paul was leaving the next day on a missionary trip. It was simply a farewell dinner. Farewell dinners are still a custom today. The 4th commandment is not a suggestion, and communion is not Passover.

Jesus clearly states in Matthew 12:8  HE is Lord of the Sabbath, not that HE is our Sabbath, or that HE is Lord of the "first day of the week." 

How can we remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy?

One of the best ways to keep the Sabbath day holy is to devote time to God's word. During the other six days of the week, it's easy to get caught up in all of our responsibilities. On the Sabbath, we need to take time to turn our thoughts and hearts to God. Let God know you are grateful for a day of rest and all His blessings.

The crucifixion of the Savior took place on Wednesday, April 3, 30 AD and He rose the third day after 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb. Most Bible commentaries claim Jesus was crucified on Friday in 33 AD to fit the popular "Good Friday - Easter Sunday" doctrine. Friday crucifixion and Sunday resurrection is false. Jesus rose Saturday night because the tomb was empty early Sunday morning. ~ John 20:1

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ~ Luke 24:1-3

Why didn't they find the body of the Lord Jesus?... because HE rose Saturday night at the end of 3 days and 3 nights.

Why then do most Christians observe the 1st day? Answer: The traditions of men, as it is written: For false christs and false prophets (Roman Catholic Popes and harlot protestants preachers - Rev. 17) will arise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ~ Mark 13:22. Who are the elect of God? The elect are people who obey the commandments of God rather than the commandments of men. For more information about the Sabbath Day, click here

You are cordially invited to share your Christian experience with Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group 

The purpose of this post is to get people to think about what they believe and why they believe it, not debate who's right or wrong. To learn the revealed truth of God we must know and understand the true meaning of the words God inspired to be written. Use Strong's Concordance to check the original word before it was translated. Do your own research, make up your own mind, rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you.

 

 

Ruth

 

 

In the Book of Ruth God shares the story of a woman who did not belong to the "right race, the right religion, or right church."  Ruth said: “Please don't urge me to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God." ~ Ruth 1:16. 

Ruth was a Moabite* woman who marries a Judean immigrant named Mahlon (Ruth 1:1–4; 4:10). Upon his death she becomes a childless widow who chooses to accompany her mother-in-law, Naomi, to Judea. She was also hard-working and gracious, a woman of steadfast faith, who had forsaken her home and her relatives in order to follow the Lord, and one who treated her mother-in-law with respect, kindness and love.

 

*Moabites are descendents from Lot through an incestuous union with his eldest daughter following the destruction of Sodom according to the Bible. Moabites were considered distant cousins to the Israelites but often functioned as hostile rivals, worshipping the god Chemosh, the fish God of the Moabites. Chemosh was also known as “the destroyer”. In 2 Kings 3:27, we see the king of Moab offering his own son and heir as a blood sacrifice to Chemosh.  

The

Book of Ruth is about loyalty, faith, redemption, and God's providence, showing how steadfast love, obedience, and humble service in difficult times can lead to blessing and fulfill divine purposes, even placing Ruth, a foreigner, in the lineage of King David and Jesus Christ. 

Three Truths from the Book of Ruth

• God is concerned about ALL people regardless of what they are, who they are, or where they are from. 
• There is hope even during the most devastating times of your life. 
• God uses unlikely people for His purpose regardless of what "church" they attend.

Denominational Chruchianity competes for members like it's some sort of recruiting contest. They debate who's right and who's wrong forgetting that it is God who chooses who enters the Kingdom. In John 15:9-17, Jesus makes it very clear not to hate or condemn brothers and sister in Christ for we are all one body.

⁹ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

¹¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹² This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, that you love one another.

Denominational Churches will not fellowship with one another, they will not allow other pastors to speak to their congregation, they constantly accuse anyone who is not a member of their church of being a heretic. They all claim to worship the same God and the same Savior, yet they say in their heart, "Jesus is my Savior, but he does not love you because you don't belong to the right church."

Come judgment day, Jesus Christ will separate the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares. As Christians, we may not all agree on doctrine or certain practices for we cannot see another brother or sister's heart as Jesus does. No Church has a franchise on God or a monopoly on the truth. No one is 100% correct about all the Bible teaches. We do the best we can with the knowledge we have.

A Bible believing follower of Jesus Christ will change when the Holy Spirit reveals new truth. An indoctrinated follower of denominational Churchianity will not change when presented with Biblical facts, nor will they search the Scriptures to see if it is true.

 

If you would like to learn more about a genuine relationship with Jesus, You Are Cordially Invited to Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group... https://mlf1070.blogspot.com/2021/01/renew.html

The purpose of Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group is to get people to think about what they believe and why they believe it, not debate who's right or wrong. Over the years, as Renew Your Strength has continued to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have recognized that some of the things we once held as true, in fact, are not; and therefore we will not “cast in stone” a statement of our beliefs. We reserve the right to be wrong and to repent of such error when we discover it. To learn the revealed truth of God we must know and understand the true meaning of the words God inspired to be written. Use Strong's Concordance to check the original word before it was translated. Do your own research, make up your own mind, rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you.