Anthony Joseph Hopkins January 12, 2021
Do you know what it means to be redeemed? Because if you fully understand what Calvary means in the life of a Believer, then you are proud to say, “I AM REDEEMED by the blood of the Lamb!”

Psalm 107:2, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy…”

When Jesus went to Calvary’s Cross, He willingly traded His flawless life for yours. Your life was riddled with guilt and shame, and yet the stench and filth of your sins was instantly traded for a robe of purest white. You gained the opportunity to have your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life by accepting Christ as your Savior and thus earning eternal redemption.

There are two redemptions. The one we earn here on earth; and the one we will earn as an eternal reward. Both are because of the shed blood of Calvary’s Cross.

As a sinner, you should have been condemned to die. But Jesus, the precious Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, died in your place. He redeemed you from all unrighteousness and set you free from death, hell and the grave (Revelation 1:18). He set you free from sickness and disease (Psalm 91:10). He set you free from the pain of the past and the fear of tomorrow (Matthew 6:26-34). And whom the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36)!

That is just a snapshot of what it means to be redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ! He has completely redeemed every aspect of your life. He has even promised to fight your battles for you (2 Chronicles 20:17). You are precious to Him!

So, what are you doing with this priceless gift? Are you wasting time wallowing in self-pity? Stop! You are redeemed! You have better things to do!

Psalm 72:14, “He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in His sight.”

God is from everlasting to everlasting. There is no shadow of turning in Him (James 1:17). What He has done in the past, He can and will do again. Redemption is forever! This single act not only changed the course of history, but the future for each and every one of us!

Isaiah 63:16, “…You, O Lord, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.”

Are you distraught? Tied to the pain of your past? Worried about all of the wrongs you have committed; thinking you can never be of any use to the Kingdom? Wrong! You are redeemed! Your sins are forgiven, never to be remembered against you any more…not because you deserve it, but because His grace is greater than your sin (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

You are purified and sanctified by the blood of Jesus. The royal blood of heaven flows through your veins.

1 Corinthians 1:30, “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…”

Hebrews 9:22, “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”

Praise God for what He has done! His goodness is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2)! His mercies are renewed every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on us!

Luke 1:68, “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people…”

Who is redeemed? YOU are redeemed! Jesus has redeemed all of us, regardless of our past, regardless of our faults. He came that we ALL might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Revelation 5:9, “…You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation…”

And the Church will be redeemed once again. When Jesus Christ comes to call us home, it will be the greatest day in the life of every Believer. In the twinkling of an eye we will be called up as the trumpet sounds. Our Redeemer will be calling us home to spend an eternity worshipping Him!

Luke 21:27-28, “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

What is the greatest thing you can celebrate today as the walls of life come crashing down around you? When you are celebrating the greatest mountain-top victories or trudging through the deepest valleys, you have reason to celebrate every moment that you have breath in your lungs. Why? Because He lives and you can face tomorrow with great hope that the very best is yet to come!

Job 19:25, “For I know that my Redeemer lives…”

            I know that my redeemer lives!!  I want to inform all of you that I love all of you very much.  I know that this is a very short essay.  I realize that my life at this time was pleasant and gracious.  I want to say to everyone that I am recovering from the Covid 19 virus right now.  It has been a very bumpy ride.  The Lord has been with me throughout my journey.  I am redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb.  My Doctor stated to me that I can catch this all over again.  By the Blood of the Lamb, I am redeemed!! 

By the blood of Christ we are redeemed, forgiven, and we enjoy God in the Holy of Holies!

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Hallelujah for the precious blood of the Lamb! This morning I was filled with appreciation for the blood of Jesus Christ – an eternal blood (since He offered Himself to God through the eternal Spirit), an efficacious blood, a prevailing blood, and a speaking blood! His blood speaks more than the blood of Abel (which spoke revenge from the ground) – His blood speaks “forgiveness” and “cleansing”!

When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He fulfilled the types of all the offerings – He offered Himself to God as an all-inclusive sacrifice on the cross to take deal with all the negative things in the world! On the cross He shed His blood – which is for our redemption, for our forgiveness, and so much more!

Here are some aspects I enjoyed regarding the blood the Lord Jesus shed for us on the cross:

• The Blood of Christ is the blood for our redemption. We were lost and sold ourselves under the usurpation of Satan and even under the law, but through His death on the cross and based on His blood, Christ redeemed us back to God! For the redemption to be proper, Christ had to be the perfect sacrifice – through His life and death on earth He fulfilled all the righteous, holy, and glorious requirements of God, and He then paid the ransom for us. He who had no sin nor ever tasted sin was made sin for us – to redeem us out of the curse of the law and out of the usurpation of Satan! Through His blood we have been redeemed!
• Christ’s blood is for our forgiveness. As the Lamb of God, Christ died for us and shed His blood. With the shedding of blood, now there is forgiveness of sins! Someone died on our behalf and shed His blood so that we may be forgiven! This is the perfect blood of the perfect God-man, washing away all our sins and trespasses! We have the blood of Christ applied to us not only initially when we receive the Lord – but even daily whenever we come to the Lord and He shines on us, we cooperate with Him and confess our sins – the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ washes away any sin and cleanses us from sins (1 John 1:9)!
• The blood of Christ is the blood of the covenant, even the blood that enacted the new covenant! A covenant is an agreement between two parties, and to enact this covenant there is the need for the shedding of blood. God enacted the old covenant and blessed the people of Israel for keeping it – because of the blood that was shed by their sacrifices on the altar. In the New Testament, God wants to give us a new covenant – He wants to Give Himself to us (all He is, all He has accomplished, all He has obtained and attained – everything) as a covenant! He wants to give us a new heart and a new Spirit to seek Him and to love Him! When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, His blood enacted the new covenant – now we can enjoy God as our portion and as our everything! Through the blood of the covenant, we are now entitled to come to Christ, our portion, and claim Him as our life, our supply, our everything! The blood of the covenant brings us into all the divine blessings!
• The blood of Jesus Christ brings us into the Holy of Holies – it brings us into God! In Heb. 10:19 it says, Having therefore, brothers, boldness for entering the Holy of Holies in the blood of Jesus. The Holy of Holies is the place where only the High Priest could enter in the Old Testament, and he went in there not to “do something” for God, but just to be with God and be infused with God. Today God wants us to come all the way into the Holy of Holies based on the blood of Jesus Christ – to spend time with Him in our mingled spirit and be infused with God! The blood of Jesus Christ made all this possible – we can now enjoy God, we can behold His beauty, and we can receive His infusion! Here in the Holy of Holies the blood is sprinkled – God looks at the blood and He is satisfied, and He can be with us and He can infuse us! Enjoying God in this way produces us as God-men, men of God, men with the divine life and nature fully expressing God and shining Him out!

Daily we can turn to the Lord and have fellowship with Him – and as we come into the light, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from every sin! Even more, we can “wash our robes and come to eat of the tree of life” – we can come to the Lord to enjoy all His riches! He is so rich, so full, so all-inclusive!

Christ is our portion – He has been covenanted to us, and based on the blood of Christ, we can enjoy Him! We can come forward with boldness to the throne of grace in the Holy of Holies in the blood of Jesus! Hallelujah, we can spend time with God to be infused with Him and behold His beauty!

Anthony Joseph Hopkins January 12, 2021
Do you know what it means to be redeemed? Because if you fully understand what Calvary means in the life of a Believer, then you are proud to say, “I AM REDEEMED by the blood of the Lamb!”

Psalm 107:2, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy…”

When Jesus went to Calvary’s Cross, He willingly traded His flawless life for yours. Your life was riddled with guilt and shame, and yet the stench and filth of your sins was instantly traded for a robe of purest white. You gained the opportunity to have your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life by accepting Christ as your Savior and thus earning eternal redemption.

There are two redemptions. The one we earn here on earth; and the one we will earn as an eternal reward. Both are because of the shed blood of Calvary’s Cross.

As a sinner, you should have been condemned to die. But Jesus, the precious Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, died in your place. He redeemed you from all unrighteousness and set you free from death, hell and the grave (Revelation 1:18). He set you free from sickness and disease (Psalm 91:10). He set you free from the pain of the past and the fear of tomorrow (Matthew 6:26-34). And whom the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36)!

That is just a snapshot of what it means to be redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ! He has completely redeemed every aspect of your life. He has even promised to fight your battles for you (2 Chronicles 20:17). You are precious to Him!

So, what are you doing with this priceless gift? Are you wasting time wallowing in self-pity? Stop! You are redeemed! You have better things to do!

Psalm 72:14, “He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in His sight.”

God is from everlasting to everlasting. There is no shadow of turning in Him (James 1:17). What He has done in the past, He can and will do again. Redemption is forever! This single act not only changed the course of history, but the future for each and every one of us!

Isaiah 63:16, “…You, O Lord, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.”

Are you distraught? Tied to the pain of your past? Worried about all of the wrongs you have committed; thinking you can never be of any use to the Kingdom? Wrong! You are redeemed! Your sins are forgiven, never to be remembered against you any more…not because you deserve it, but because His grace is greater than your sin (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

You are purified and sanctified by the blood of Jesus. The royal blood of heaven flows through your veins.

1 Corinthians 1:30, “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…”

Hebrews 9:22, “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”

Praise God for what He has done! His goodness is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2)! His mercies are renewed every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on us!

Luke 1:68, “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people…”

Who is redeemed? YOU are redeemed! Jesus has redeemed all of us, regardless of our past, regardless of our faults. He came that we ALL might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Revelation 5:9, “…You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation…”

And the Church will be redeemed once again. When Jesus Christ comes to call us home, it will be the greatest day in the life of every Believer. In the twinkling of an eye we will be called up as the trumpet sounds. Our Redeemer will be calling us home to spend an eternity worshipping Him!

Luke 21:27-28, “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

What is the greatest thing you can celebrate today as the walls of life come crashing down around you? When you are celebrating the greatest mountain-top victories or trudging through the deepest valleys, you have reason to celebrate every moment that you have breath in your lungs. Why? Because He lives and you can face tomorrow with great hope that the very best is yet to come!

Job 19:25, “For I know that my Redeemer lives…”

            I know that my redeemer lives!!  I want to inform all of you that I love all of you very much.  I know that this is a very short essay.  I realize that my life at this time was pleasant and gracious.  I want to say to everyone that I am recovering from the Covid 19 virus right now.  It has been a very bumpy ride.  The Lord has been with me throughout my journey.  I am redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb.  My Doctor stated to me that I can catch this all over again.  By the Blood of the Lamb, I am redeemed!! 

By the blood of Christ we are redeemed, forgiven, and we enjoy God in the Holy of Holies!

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Hallelujah for the precious blood of the Lamb! This morning I was filled with appreciation for the blood of Jesus Christ – an eternal blood (since He offered Himself to God through the eternal Spirit), an efficacious blood, a prevailing blood, and a speaking blood! His blood speaks more than the blood of Abel (which spoke revenge from the ground) – His blood speaks “forgiveness” and “cleansing”!

When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He fulfilled the types of all the offerings – He offered Himself to God as an all-inclusive sacrifice on the cross to take deal with all the negative things in the world! On the cross He shed His blood – which is for our redemption, for our forgiveness, and so much more!

Here are some aspects I enjoyed regarding the blood the Lord Jesus shed for us on the cross:

• The Blood of Christ is the blood for our redemption. We were lost and sold ourselves under the usurpation of Satan and even under the law, but through His death on the cross and based on His blood, Christ redeemed us back to God! For the redemption to be proper, Christ had to be the perfect sacrifice – through His life and death on earth He fulfilled all the righteous, holy, and glorious requirements of God, and He then paid the ransom for us. He who had no sin nor ever tasted sin was made sin for us – to redeem us out of the curse of the law and out of the usurpation of Satan! Through His blood we have been redeemed!
• Christ’s blood is for our forgiveness. As the Lamb of God, Christ died for us and shed His blood. With the shedding of blood, now there is forgiveness of sins! Someone died on our behalf and shed His blood so that we may be forgiven! This is the perfect blood of the perfect God-man, washing away all our sins and trespasses! We have the blood of Christ applied to us not only initially when we receive the Lord – but even daily whenever we come to the Lord and He shines on us, we cooperate with Him and confess our sins – the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ washes away any sin and cleanses us from sins (1 John 1:9)!
• The blood of Christ is the blood of the covenant, even the blood that enacted the new covenant! A covenant is an agreement between two parties, and to enact this covenant there is the need for the shedding of blood. God enacted the old covenant and blessed the people of Israel for keeping it – because of the blood that was shed by their sacrifices on the altar. In the New Testament, God wants to give us a new covenant – He wants to Give Himself to us (all He is, all He has accomplished, all He has obtained and attained – everything) as a covenant! He wants to give us a new heart and a new Spirit to seek Him and to love Him! When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, His blood enacted the new covenant – now we can enjoy God as our portion and as our everything! Through the blood of the covenant, we are now entitled to come to Christ, our portion, and claim Him as our life, our supply, our everything! The blood of the covenant brings us into all the divine blessings!
• The blood of Jesus Christ brings us into the Holy of Holies – it brings us into God! In Heb. 10:19 it says, Having therefore, brothers, boldness for entering the Holy of Holies in the blood of Jesus. The Holy of Holies is the place where only the High Priest could enter in the Old Testament, and he went in there not to “do something” for God, but just to be with God and be infused with God. Today God wants us to come all the way into the Holy of Holies based on the blood of Jesus Christ – to spend time with Him in our mingled spirit and be infused with God! The blood of Jesus Christ made all this possible – we can now enjoy God, we can behold His beauty, and we can receive His infusion! Here in the Holy of Holies the blood is sprinkled – God looks at the blood and He is satisfied, and He can be with us and He can infuse us! Enjoying God in this way produces us as God-men, men of God, men with the divine life and nature fully expressing God and shining Him out!

Daily we can turn to the Lord and have fellowship with Him – and as we come into the light, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from every sin! Even more, we can “wash our robes and come to eat of the tree of life” – we can come to the Lord to enjoy all His riches! He is so rich, so full, so all-inclusive!

Christ is our portion – He has been covenanted to us, and based on the  of Christ, we can enjoy Him! We can come forward with boldness to the throne of grace in the Holy of Holies in the blood of Jesus! Hallelujah, we can spend time with God to be infused with Him and behold His beauty!

Dear God, I thank you that I am free from all fear and iniquity. Thank you, Lord, that you have delivered me from the consequences of sin, and have brought me into a life of freedom. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Could Someone Please tell me whether this is true?

            Hello! How are you doing today? Fine, I hope.  I have a very important question.  Could someone please tell me whether this is true?  I will admit that there are dysfunctional families worldwide.  It is that, in my case, I keep constantly arguing with my family members all of the time.  For instance, I want to tell all of you that I have a brother that I have not spoken to in over 24 years now.  This is simply because we got into a fist fight over the simple fact that he called me out of my name.  What he did not understand that my brother did not know that my great grandmother raised me from the time that I was a baby until I was 7 years old.  When it comes to my love life, I really did not have a love life.  This is because the women in my life took advantaged of me.  Even though I had worked during all of my relationships.  When I look at this picture, it reminds me of a dysfunctional relationship.  It reminds me of a couple who got finished arguing with each other.  Do you know that most couples argue over sex and finances?  I do not know why couples argue over sex and finances, but when it comes to these topics, it causes married couples to get a divorced.

            My problem consists of working to support the family.  I also want to inform all of you that I had to work 3 jobs in Charlotte, NC because the cost of living was a whole lot higher than Dayton, Ohio.  I know that there are family members rarely contact me; even during the time that I was involved in my relationships.  I want to inform all of you that I really love these blogs.  The word sin means to miss the mark.  We are born sinners.  I want to inform all of you to please keep me in your prayers because I am losing my eyesight.  This is the first time I have used borders in my blogs.  Anyway, when it comes to my own family, it is not very easy.  This is a way for me to make amends to God and myself.  I want to inform all of you that the definition above really makes sense. 

            Moreover, I want to inform all of you that I have come a very long way.  I want to inform everyone that I am guilty of starting a lot of stuff in the past.  I am just like my mother.  If I do not have anything nice to say to someone, I would rather say nothing to the next person.  I know that I have a lot of friends as well as family members.  It makes perfect sense for me to pray for someone who are arrogant and rude.  Before I went to the library this afternoon, there was a young man, who was pugnacious.

 I want to inform everyone that this young man was starting a fight with anyone he came in contact with.  I would rather pray for him, rather than fight him.  Back to the lecture at hand, it is time for me to make amends to all of my family members.  I know that my mother and aunt always reminded that if you burn a bridge, you never know when you might need to cross it!!  God Bless You!!  The Lord is with me always.  The picture above means that God is the only one who knows how to resolve every problem that we have in our personal life.  Stay Strong and God Bless You!!  Thanks for reading my blog.

Faithfully Submitted,

Anthony Hopkins

Why our children and adults are acting up completely?

Good Afternoon and God Bless You! I would like to start things off by asking everyone a question. Why are children and adults acting up completely?  The answer to this question is because human behavior is learned.  For instance, children and adults are acting up completely because of the simple fact that; the world is coming to the end.  In the Bible, according to Mark the 13^th Chapter says in the end of times that children will rise up against their parents.  It also says that brother will rise up against brother, and daughter against their mother. 

According to 2^nd Timothy 3^rd Chapter, this is called the last days.  This means that each person will behave according to their own desires.  The last days will be more than the things that are going on in the present.  Why children and adults are acting the way they are right now? It is simply because people are gaining access to weapons.  There are more weapons on the streets right now, than they were over 30 years ago.  Our city streets are filled with immorality, drugs, and violence.  To be perfectly honest with everyone, the world will come to an end by the hands of mankind.

A child’s mind has been inundated with images of social media.  Since the year 2000, social media has dominated the minds of our children.  An average Facebook user is between the ages of 13 to 35.  Therefore, our children are recording every single thing that goes on in their personal lives.  Children are even fighting each other on social media.  When it comes to adults, they are gaining access to weapons and drugs right now, more than ever before.  Adults who are 40 and under and engaging in risky behaviors.  For instance, adults are having sex before marriage and are incarcerated for committing violent crimes.  There are adults who are doing recreation drugs as well as committing crimes against children.

Next, it is not very easy living in a rapidly changing society.  People are doing all sorts of bad things with each other.  In the Bible, it is an abomination to be involved in a relationship with someone of the same sex.  It is a sin to commit crimes against children.  It does not make any sense why people are doing things that goes against the Bible.  A 2009 DOJ study showed that more than 60 percent of the children surveyed were exposed to violence within the past year either directly or indirectly.  Children’s exposure to violence, whether as victims or witnesses, is often associated with long-term physical, psychological, and emotional harm. Children exposed to violence are also at a higher risk of engaging in criminal behavior later in life and becoming part of a cycle of violence.

Moreover, I want to inform all of you that adults are supposed to become mentors to our children.  If an adult is committing crimes against the children that we are supposed to be teaching and mentoring, then I really do understand why children are doing the things that they are doing.  There are more crimes that are committed at school, more than it was since 1985.  For example, children are carrying guns and other weapons to school.  Adults are committing violent crimes against women right now more than before.  Crimes against women has went up tremendously since 1985. 

In Addition, I want to inform all of you that some children do not trust adults.  I can understand why our children feel the way they feel towards adults and other children.  During the 1970s and 1980s, I did not have access to a cell phone.  I did not use a cell phone until the early 2000s.  I will also admit that I felt very angry towards other children, who used to bully me all of the time. I was angry towards those who tormented me for 9 straight years.  I will admit that I was a juvenile delinquent as well.  I can understand why children feel that schools and other basic institutions are failing our children today.  I want to admit that I graduated from high school 3 years late.  The reason why is because I was smoking marijuana, skipping school, and committing nonviolent crimes.

Finally, I want to inform all of you that I smoked marijuana from 1974 to 1990.  I was solely responsible for feeling neglected by my parents.  I really did not trust people who were older than me. 
This is because I was hurt, cussed out, and beaten by my stepfather for 9 years.  My siblings and I did not trust each other, nor other adults because we felt angry all of the time.  I just wanted to be loved as a person by everyone, instead of being treated like an outcast.  Please keep me in your prayers.  Thank you for reading my blog.

Faithfully Submitted,

Anthony Hopkins

Is it True That God knows How Long We Will Live?

        This is an essay that will focus on the importance of how long man will live.  I would like to start things off by asking a question.  Is it true that God knows how long we will live?  The answer to this question is not very easy to respond.  However, according to Psalms 139:16 it says your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed. And in your book, they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

        Next, I did not know that God knows how long we are going to live according to His word.  This is very unusual because I thought that if we take care of ourselves and modify our lifestyle, we can live long on earth. Jeremiah 29:11 says for I know the plans that I have toward you. Plans to prosper and a purpose.  Some translations states that for I knows the thoughts that I have towards you, plans to prosper and a purpose.  I really did not take things seriously regarding my life until May 2, 1990.  I started praying to God for a complete change in my personal life.

        Further, I want to inform all of you that it was not very easy for me growing up in Dayton, Ohio.  This is because I used to get beaten up by my sister, and other kids in school.  I know that I fought everyone for 28 years.  I even fought myself.  I just did not realize that the Bible has over 6,000 promises that are very true.  Anyway, I did not even know that God knows when we are going to see Him personally.

Psalms 56:8 says; You number my wanderings, put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in your book?  This means that God knows exactly what we are doing at all times.  This also means that God knows where we are going and when we rise in the morning.  He even knows the people that we are going to be with today.  God even knows so much about us that we cannot even understand it.  Job 27:3 says; As long as my breath is in me, and the breath of God in my nostrils.  Honestly, the things that we have as far as possessions are concerned, are worldly.  The air that we breathe does not belong to us. God Bless You!!  Thank You for reading my essay.

What is the Difference between Grace Vs Mercy?

        This is a comparison and contrast essay that is based on the definition of two words.  The first word is grace and the second is mercy.  The definition of the word grace is good will or favor.  When it comes to grace, the Lord always shows us good will and favor when it comes to all of us.  Whereas, the definition of the word mercy is refraining from harming others.  It also means showing kind or compassionate treatment.  It also means the power to forgive.

        When it comes to the Lord God; He always shows everyone compassion and understanding towards us.  I remember when I was a high school student, I became truant and missed over half of the 1981-82 school year.

       The reason why I became truant was because I was involved in street gangs and I also smoked marijuana.  During that time, I had to appear in court for not attending school.  The Juvenile Court Judge stated to me in my face that anytime a person does not go to school, they are considered as crazy!

        Moreover, I want to inform everyone that I managed to change my ways by attending Job Corps in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The Juvenile Court Judge gave me a second chance.  I will admit that I was a B+ to C average student in school.  I exceeded my expectations by graduating from the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio in 1993 and 1995 respectively.  It was not very easy, however, I did very well.       I want everyone to know that in spite of my pass mistakes,     God had never left me nor forsaken me.

Definition of God’s Grace – How do theologians define it? “What is grace? In the New Testament grace means God’s love in action towards men who merited the opposite of love. Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who could not lift a finger to save themselves. Grace means God sending His only Son to descend into hell on the cross so that we guilty ones might be reconciled to God and received into heaven. ‘(God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him’”

He was there every step of the way.  I will admit to making a lot of mistakes in high school from 1979 to 1983.  Therefore, I graduated from high school at the age of 20 years old.  I was one of the oldest high school students to receive a high school diploma at the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Dayton, Ohio.  My graduation class had over 300 students. 

        In Addition, I want to inform everyone that I am a 53 year old man who have a lot of common sense.  I am a person who has learned from all of my mistakes.  I want to be honest with everyone that God has shown me both grace and mercy during my 53 years of existence.

         I also want to give credit to Judge McCullough for giving me a second chance at life.  I want to thank her for being lenient but firm on me.  I have admitted guilt for the crimes that I have committed in the past.  I want to also thank countless of others for seeing the potential in me.  I want to thank everyone in the Charlotte, NC and Toledo, OH for helping me to shine when I need to.

        Further, I want to thank everyone at the University of Toledo for allowing me to enroll in college; in spite of my bad grades in high school.  I also want to thank everyone at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for allowing me to work at the J Murray Atkins Library for 8 straight years.  I want to thank everyone that God have placed in my life because they have seen great potential in me.  It is God that is doing for me more than I am doing for myself.

        Finally, I want to say that grace and mercy goes hand in hand with me personally.  I thank Jesus Christ for being the Lord in my life right now.  I will admit that I have been baptized 9 times within the past 20 years.  I had dedicated my life to Jesus Christ on February 15, 2015.  I am very happy to be born again.  I owe it to my personal Savior Jesus Christ and many others for helping me along in my journey to success.  I want to say that Grace and Mercy is very serious when it comes to God.  I always take my life serious when it comes to God’s grace and mercy.

        In Conclusion, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for forgiving me for all of my sins.  I want to thank my mother, grandmothers, aunts, and uncles for being involved in my life as a role model.  I also want to thank all of my family members for bearing with me for all of these years.  I had put all of my family members through a whole lot of mess.  I also want to thank myself for learning how to forgive myself for all of my personal wrongs in my life.  Grace is the good will and favor that God has shown me in my life.  The mercy is the total forgiveness of all of my sins.  I am happy to be a member of the Lambs Book of Life.  Thank you for reading my essay.

What is the Difference between Grace Vs Mercy?

        This is a comparison and contrast essay that is based on the definition of two words.  The first word is grace and the second is mercy.  The definition of the word grace is good will or favor.  When it comes to grace, the Lord always shows us good will and favor when it comes to all of us.  Whereas, the definition of the word mercy is refraining from harming others.  It also means showing kind or compassionate treatment.  It also means the power to forgive.

        When it comes to the Lord God; He always shows everyone compassion and understanding towards us.  I remember when I was a high school student, I became truant and missed over half of the 1981-82 school year.

       The reason why I became truant was because I was involved in street gangs and I also smoked marijuana.  During that time, I had to appear in court for not attending school.  The Juvenile Court Judge stated to me in my face that anytime a person does not go to school, they are considered as crazy!

        Moreover, I want to inform everyone that I managed to change my ways by attending Job Corps in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The Juvenile Court Judge gave me a second chance.  I will admit that I was a B+ to C average student in school.  I exceeded my expectations by graduating from the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio in 1993 and 1995 respectively.  It was not very easy, however, I did very well.       I want everyone to know that in spite of my pass mistakes,     God had never left me nor forsaken me.

Definition of God’s Grace – How do theologians define it? “What is grace? In the New Testament grace means God’s love in action towards men who merited the opposite of love. Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who could not lift a finger to save themselves. Grace means God sending His only Son to descend into hell on the cross so that we guilty ones might be reconciled to God and received into heaven. ‘(God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him’”

He was there every step of the way.  I will admit to making a lot of mistakes in high school from 1979 to 1983.  Therefore, I graduated from high school at the age of 20 years old.  I was one of the oldest high school students to receive a high school diploma at the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Dayton, Ohio.  My graduation class had over 300 students. 

        In Addition, I want to inform everyone that I am a 53 year old man who have a lot of common sense.  I am a person who has learned from all of my mistakes.  I want to be honest with everyone that God has shown me both grace and mercy during my 53 years of existence.

         I also want to give credit to Judge McCullough for giving me a second chance at life.  I want to thank her for being lenient but firm on me.  I have admitted guilt for the crimes that I have committed in the past.  I want to also thank countless of others for seeing the potential in me.  I want to thank everyone in the Charlotte, NC and Toledo, OH for helping me to shine when I need to.

        Further, I want to thank everyone at the University of Toledo for allowing me to enroll in college; in spite of my bad grades in high school.  I also want to thank everyone at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for allowing me to work at the J Murray Atkins Library for 8 straight years.  I want to thank everyone that God have placed in my life because they have seen great potential in me.  It is God that is doing for me more than I am doing for myself.

        Finally, I want to say that grace and mercy goes hand in hand with me personally.  I thank Jesus Christ for being the Lord in my life right now.  I will admit that I have been baptized 9 times within the past 20 years.  I had dedicated my life to Jesus Christ on February 15, 2015.  I am very happy to be born again.  I owe it to my personal Savior Jesus Christ and many others for helping me along in my journey to success.  I want to say that Grace and Mercy is very serious when it comes to God.  I always take my life serious when it comes to God’s grace and mercy.

        In Conclusion, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for forgiving me for all of my sins.  I want to thank my mother, grandmothers, aunts, and uncles for being involved in my life as a role model.  I also want to thank all of my family members for bearing with me for all of these years.  I had put all of my family members through a whole lot of mess.  I also want to thank myself for learning how to forgive myself for all of my personal wrongs in my life.  Grace is the good will and favor that God has shown me in my life.  The mercy is the total forgiveness of all of my sins.  I am happy to be a member of the Lambs Book of Life.  Thank you for reading my essay.

Could Someone Please Tell Me Whether Matthew 8:22 and Matthew 22:32 Goes Hand in Hand?

                             By: Anthony Joseph Hopkins

          Good Day Everyone!! I would like to ask everyone a very important question.  Could someone please tell me whether Matthew 8:22 and Matthew 22:32 goes hand in hand?  I am asking this question because I am concerned about those who are spiritually dead and lost.  If someone is spiritually dead, they do not believe in God or Jesus Christ.  Matthew 8:22 says: But Jesus said unto them, follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.  Jesus is giving us a choice to follow Him.  I would follow Jesus Christ and serve Him for the rest of my life.  I guess I was misquoting the scriptures; but I was making a point to one of my family members because she has been placing too much emphasis on dead people all of her whole life.

          She was getting me to send her obituaries of people that she did not know.  It is making me frustrated because she can do this work for herself.  In Matthew 22:32 says: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  I am only trying to gently admonish someone for placing emphasis on dead people all of the time.  Am I wrong for telling someone to stop emphasizing the dead? My point that I am trying to make is that God is a God of the Living only.  I can understand that people can be spiritually dead and spiritually blind simultaneously.  There is a difference between spiritual death and being spiritually blind.  All I am simply saying is that there is a time and a season for everything.  There are some people, who do not have anything constructive to do, but emphasize death and especially collect obituaries of dead people.

          It is okay to mourn.  However, it becomes an obsession to place emphasis on the death of others.  I want to give the definition of the words spiritual death and spiritual blindness.  First, the definition of the word spiritual death is another, narrow, “purified” meaning of “spiritual death” is “death in a spiritual way”, “to die being a spiritual person, not being an atheist”. Thus this means that “spiritual death” relates to two self’s: soul (real self, which is eternal), and ego (false self, which is temporary or material).  Whereas, spiritual blindness is Author has 560 answers and 551.4k answer views. That’s a great question. Strictly speaking — “Spiritual blindness” refers to a spiritual state where you hold fast to unbiblical teachings and beliefs and as a consequence quickly dismiss true biblical teachings because they conflict with yours.

          For those people, who have a preoccupation with death, I will have to pray for you.  The question that I have to ask is are you satisfied with not having an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ?  For me personally, I would rather have a relationship with Jesus Christ, than to place emphasis on death.  I am completely satisfied with my relationship with Jesus Christ.  I need to pray more each day.

          I am very sorry, but I do not endorse death, nor do I have a preoccupation with the death of others.  I am very concerned about my family members, who have this issue because I am getting slightly irritated because it is like she wants me to get involved in her activities.  I will admit that I think about my mother and family members, who are not here with me.  I have had fond memories of everyone that I know.  It is that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior right now, and I am content with going to heaven.

          2^nd Corinthians 4:3-4 says: But even if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  All of this means that Satan is capable of causing some people to be spiritually blinded and completely confused until the gospel of Christ Jesus shines on them.

          This is a very serious problem that has to be resolved immediately. 

Second Timothy 3:1-7 vs 21^st Century Behavior by Anthony Joseph Hopkins November 16, 2021

       Let’s examine this information for the moment.  2^nd Timothy 3:1-7 says: But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than  lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power, and from such people turn away!!  For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins led away by various lusts.  Always learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth.

       These seven verses that are located in 2^nd Timothy 3^rd Chapter 1-7 verses tells the truth about human behavior at its worse.  Whereas, 21^st Century behavior is similar to the seven verses inside of 2^nd Timothy but the language itself has changed.

       An example of the language that is used in the 21^st Century consists of acronyms.  Children are deceiving their parents on a daily basis.  For example, children are spending too much time with their friends.  The friends are drinking alcohol, and smoking marijuana.  Children in the 21^st Century are using electronic cigarettes.  Children in the 21^st Century are spending too much time away from the home.

       21^st Century behavior consists of parents being their children’s best friend.  Therefore, parental roles have changed.  21^st Century parents are too lenient with their children.  21^st Century parents cannot and will not punish their children in the same way they were raised as children.  Law Enforcement are involved in the 21^st Century household.

       21^st Century Parents tend to be younger than usual.  In Addition To the causing chaos inside of the 21^st Century is made up of a mother and her children.  The fathers that are involved in the 21^st Century children household are classified as sperm donors.  21^st Century households are at poverty level.

 21^st Century households have different fathers.  The reason why is because they did not have their fathers in their lives.  Inside of a 21^st Century household, the fathers are not around to take care of their children.  The mother of 21^st Century Children do not get along with their male counterparts.  The women who are raising children in the 21^st Century receive less money from child support.  In some cases, the men are spending time behind bars.  Inside of a 21^st Century household, vulgarities are exchanged between the father, mother, and children.

Some of the 21^st Century parents allow their children to be home alone.  The oldest child will have to babysit their younger siblings on a daily basis.  There is a big difference between the end times and 21^st Century Households.

 Some of what is written inside of the Bible speaks about the 21^st Century Household.  What is a 21^st Century Household is not a nuclear family.  It consists of a mother raising her children all by herself without help from anyone else.

Second Timothy 3:1-7 vs 21^st Century Behavior by Anthony Joseph Hopkins November 16, 2021

       Let’s examine this information for the moment.  2^nd Timothy 3:1-7 says: But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than  lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power, and from such people turn away!!  For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins led away by various lusts.  Always learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth.

       These seven verses that are located in 2^nd Timothy 3^rd Chapter 1-7 verses tells the truth about human behavior at its worse.  Whereas, 21^st Century behavior is similar to the seven verses inside of 2^nd Timothy but the language itself has changed.

       An example of the language that is used in the 21^st Century consists of acronyms.  Children are deceiving their parents on a daily basis.  For example, children are spending too much time with their friends.  The friends are drinking alcohol, and smoking marijuana.  Children in the 21^st Century are using electronic cigarettes.  Children in the 21^st Century are spending too much time away from the home.

       21^st Century behavior consists of parents being their children’s best friend.  Therefore, parental roles have changed.  21^st Century parents are too lenient with their children.  21^st Century parents cannot and will not punish their children in the same way they were raised as children.  Law Enforcement are involved in the 21^st Century household.

       21^st Century Parents tend to be younger than usual.  In Addition To the causing chaos inside of the 21^st Century is made up of a mother and her children.  The fathers that are involved in the 21^st Century children household are classified as sperm donors.  21^st Century households are at poverty level.

 21^st Century households have different fathers.  The reason why is because they did not have their fathers in their lives.  Inside of a 21^st Century household, the fathers are not around to take care of their children.  The mother of 21^st Century Children do not get along with their male counterparts.  The women who are raising children in the 21^st Century receive less money from child support.  In some cases, the men are spending time behind bars.  Inside of a 21^st Century household, vulgarities are exchanged between the father, mother, and children.

Some of the 21^st Century parents allow their children to be home alone.  The oldest child will have to babysit their younger siblings on a daily basis.  There is a big difference between the end times and 21^st Century Households.

 Some of what is written inside of the Bible speaks about the 21^st Century Household.  What is a 21^st Century Household is not a nuclear family.  It consists of a mother raising her children all by herself without help from anyone else.