In this ministry, I have been posting about 3 times a week for nearly 6 years now. I have added different categories, improved my website, created a Facebook page, purchased a video creation program (so people can either read or watch my messages), and written three books. I also have started to add personal pictures and videos now and then.
If you prefer to watch a video (which is why I bought the app), click on this link: Watch the video.
I have not made money from any of this. Although the people who have bought and read my books have given me positive feedback, they are not making any professional authors shake in their boots. I doubt Oprah will ever recommend me. I do this because I have the same feeling that Jeremiah had (not that I could ever come close to the class he is in) in that I feel a need to announce to everyone what I believe to be correct information about God and his salvation through the Messiah.
I do not tell anyone what they should believe in or what they should do- that is totally their decision. All I want to do is make sure that whatever decision they make, they make it using good information.
It’s just like when I used to go to people’s homes from telemarketing leads to sell them siding or windows. That type of sale is called a One Call Close, but you actually need to “close” them three times:
- your first close is to get the homeowner to buy the idea that they should let you into the house;
- the second close is to get them to admit they would like to buy your product; and
- the final close is to get them to actually buy it.
When I was working on the first close, I very often was met with the statement,” If you are going to try to sell me something you might as well leave now. No matter what you say I am not buying anything today!” My answer was, “It’s your money- I won’t tell you how to use it. But let me ask you something: when you do buy something, do you buy it without any knowledge of what you are buying, or do you make an informed decision about what you buy?”
The answer was always that they make an informed decision- this is what we call asking a question to which you already know the answer.
So, once they answered me, I would say, “That’s the best way to buy something. All I want to do is give you the information you need to make an informed decision. What you do after that is up to you.”
I am not interested in telling people what to do, only giving them the correct information so they know what they are doing.
When we read the Bible, this is what God has always done. God has never dictated what we must do. What he has done is to tell us IF you do this I will bless you this way, and IF you don’t you will be punished this way. He gives us the information then tells us to choose life or death. He then recommends we choose life, i.e. to obey him.
In Deuteronomy 28, Moses states the blessings God promises for obedience to his instructions, as well as the curses for disobedience, and after telling all these things to the people, in Deuteronomy 30:19-20 Moses says:
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
I try to teach the truth about who God is and how “salvation” works. Most religions teach that God loves us and wants to bless us (which is all true) and that when we accept Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah we are “saved” from hell because he died for our sins. This is all true, but it isn’t the whole truth. They tell you when you faithfully accept Yeshua as your Messiah you are forgiven of your sins, but what they neglect to mention (what Paul Harvey used to call “the rest of the story”) is that without repentance, there cannot be forgiveness. God will not forgive someone who isn’t repentant. They also forget to remind us that the blessings God has for us are dependent upon our obedience-when we reject what God says we should do, we reject the blessings he wants to give us.
Here is what I have found to be a very hard thing for many people to grasp:
we are saved by our faith and not by what we do, but what we do shows how genuine our faith really is.
In other words, you can’t have your cake (constant, unrepentant sin) and eat it, too (still receive forgiveness.)
You can’t be a consistent, unrepentant sinner and receive forgiveness. Unfortunately, this is the message many religions teach.
God has no religion and his commandments, all of them, are for everyone. This is what I announce to the world, in different ways using different stories, so that people have the information they need to make the right decision about where they will spend eternity.
Thank you for being here; if you like what you hear please SUBSCRIBE using the button in the right-hand margin, and use the link above to subscribe to my Youtube channel, as well. Share me out, buy my books, help me get the information people need to know out to them.
Until next time, L’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!
I will look into that site now. Thank you.
Steven
No, but again it shows that the Lord provides and honors those who truly serve Him. That is also why I emailed you and suggested the USA.Life site to you for furthering your ministry. I truly believe that you will be able to be a blessing to those other Christians, and those who have yet to come to Christ.
Rick
Thank you so much. Rabelrouser, for your kind words and confirmation.
It’s funny, but after stating how I don’t do this for money, in the mail today I received a royalty check from my book sales during the last quarter of 2018… a walloping $7.26.
I don’t think this this will affect my tax status for the year. 🙂
I truly appreciate your writing’s and teaching. Trying to have a average Christian understand fully what the Lord wants from them is often clouded by church teaching today. That “emotional teaching” which promises a “fire suit” and nothing more will lead to those words: “Depart from Me, for I never knew you”; and not “Well done Good and Faithful Servant”.
But the only Christ others will see is that individual who proclaims but does not resemble Christ in the way they live their every day lives; and the sad truth is that is what leads to the unbeliever to reject Christ in their live’s.
God Bless You