Pastor CJ Counts

“For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

With a title like “Obedience”, I expect this will be the least popular devotional of all. Nobody likes to be reminded that we are called to live a life of obedience toward God’s commandments. I would rather hear all about ooy gooy Grace and forgiveness, and less about what God wants to see from me.…

“The temptation of the age is to look good without being good.” Brennan Manning

    The Bible does not specifically condemn gambling, betting, or the lottery. The Bible does warn us, however, to stay away from the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5). Scripture also encourages us to stay away from attempts to “get rich quick” (Proverbs 13:11; 23:5; Ecclesiastes 5:10). Gambling most definitely is focused on the love of…

“I’ve come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.” Anthony Robbins

Q) Did Enoch and Elijah die like everybody else?   A) This is a good question. In fact these two men are the only two men believed to be raptured to heaven alive with out dieing so far.    In Genesis 5:24 the Bible says Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took…

“Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.” Bill Nye

As we study the scriptures we begin to discover what it means to place our full trust in God. The following scriptures speak about the “fear” of the Lord and what will result when we have a trusting respect for His authority.  Let’s keep in mind that when we see this word “fear”, we can…

Please enjoy the audio clip about the Christian response to the LBGT community. You may be surprised by what you hear. CLICK HERE – to be redirected to a radio sermon on the LBGT topic Please also enjoy the video below, and feel free to post your comments and feelings. Video CLICK HERE – to…

Q) What’s the difference between being a Hebrew and Jewish? Aryans say they hate Jews but Jesus was a Hebrew.   A) The word “Hebrew” tends to be defined as the language that the Jews speak. However, over the years this word has been used interchangeably with the word Jew to have the same definition. When we…

“A man cannot build a reputation on what he is going to do.” Henry Ford

The work of the Holy Spirit is so important that Jesus said in Matthew 12:32 “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” The Holy Spirit is the part…

“Speak only if you can improve the silence.” Spanish proverb

Jesus Christ is the most unique person in all of history. He is the eternal God who became man in order that He could die for the sins of the world. He is the Son of God who died in our place, because the cost of our sins are deserving of condemnation. He was raised…

Question – Shouldn’t Christians celebrate the 7 feasts of the old testament instead of pagan holidays?   Answer – Good question. Back in the day, the Jews had celebrated these holidays to remind them of their heritage, so these ceremonies were more than just religious rituals, because they were steeped in cultural history. We today can…

Question – Is the second death the permanent destruction of our spirit? Eternal life after death is not guaranteed, it is given as a gift to some people and others are destroyed. Is this biblically correct?   Answer – No, it seems that the phrase “second death” refers to the second time one would die, though this…

Question – Is the Trinity Biblical? Answer – Let me see if I can help you with your understanding of the trinity.  I will point to some scriptures that show the writers were trinitarians themselves. But before I do, let me say this. I acknowledge what many say about the word “trinity” not being in the…

“Don’t worry about what people think, they don’t do it very often”

Question – Is salvation revocable? Can you lose it?    Answer – If you have faith in Christ, you can be absolutely secured in your salvation. You can do nothing to loose it, no matter what sin you commit. Your enemies can not take it from you, and you can not fail God so much that he will refuse…

When we become children of God through faith, we become responsible to tell others about Christ, and represent Him well while living in this enemy occupied territory. We become like an ambassador for the Kingdom of God in a foreign land. This means we must be a good example to others who are not citizens…

“Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, any more than standing in a garage makes you a car”

Often called the Forgotten God, because unless you attend a pentecostal church environment, the Holy Spirit is often neglected in the average American church environment. However the Holy Spirit is the dominant member of the triune Godhead today. Of course all three members of the Godhead are eternally significant. But what Jesus did in thirty…

9-9-2017 @ Mission Under Grace Video Pictures CLICK HERE – to go to photo gallery  

It ain’t the jeans that make your butt look fat Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good Eat…

Prayer is our lifeline to God. We are expected to live a lifestyle of prayer, which means more than just a ritual before dinner or a quickie before we fall asleep. Our lives can be a prayer, when our prayers become our life. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for…

Q) – If God knows everything all at once, why was he violent in the old testament, but wants peace in the new?    A) – This is a great question.    We know that God Himself is unchanging.  Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.   Malachi 3:6 – “For I, the LORD,…

Today we have a higher level of access to the Word of God than ever before in human history. On any smartphone, you can download an app with every single translation and every single version for free. Although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the Bible is the world’s best-selling…

Q) If Mary was born with a sinful nature like everybody else, then why didn’t Jesus inherit a fallen nature from her?   A) Great question. It is true that Mary does come from the same ancestry as Adam, and therefore has inherited his sinful nature. Since Jesus was born of a human woman, he inherited…

I was pleased to discover that our local government has a ritual of prayer and the pledge of allegiance to the flag by one nation under God before each city council meeting. I was honored to be asked to provide this invocation, and enthusiastic to discover that I could praise the name of Jesus when…

You may have read from a few weeks ago that we are saved by faith, through grace, and if you stick around me long enough, you will hear it said again. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, He becomes not only our Savior but also our Sovereign Lord and Master. We are under…

Q) This has been bugging me for two months. It says in Galatians 3:19 (around there) , that angels gave the law. Moses said God gave him the law directly. Also, when Jesus was confronted by people that caught a woman committing adultery, he was writing on the ground as a symbol, that he can’t…

I have expressed to other Christians that I am living the scriptures that speak to having a peace in Christ that the world could never provide, or that count my trials as joy. I express that this is a feeling and lifestyle that is hard to explain, or even understand until appreciating its reality in…

Satan is constantly trying to undermine your salvation by whispering blasphemies in your ear, getting you to doubt your faith. He will first plant doubts in your head, then he will try to convince you that these were your own thoughts. Now I am not an advocate of the theology behind the phrase “once saved,…

The purpose of this devotional is to explore the basics of our salvation. Salvation means the deliverance from sin and its consequences. Please review and meditate on these scriptures and reflections to either renew your commitment to Christ, or to enter into the Kingdom of God for the first time.   How? Romans 10:9 =…

From Steven Gibson Q1) Do I take my hat off in Church service?   A1) Steven, that is a good question, because in today’s cultural climate, there are lots of possible answers to that very question. So, I want to answer this question from two perspectives. Both Gods and Mans. From Gods perspective, He sees into…

If we are called to be disciples, and we are called to make disciples, then it is worth asking for the sake of clarity, “What is a disciple?” We here will be focusing on the answer in its Christian context, because the idea of being somebodies disciple is not originally a Christian term. During the…

Why did I make this web site? Did I just want a spotlight on myself? Was I looking for a way to promote all my interests, or show off? NO There are two reasons why I created this web site, and I want to share them with you so you understand my intentions. An alternative…

Q1) How do you know if someone is truly a saint if man is giving him that title?   A1) ​The most literal definition of a saint is just a person who is holy and set apart by God for his Kingdom. A saint is defined differently by catholics and protestants. I am careful when…

Q) What about all the people before Jesus died for our sins? All the people of the old test. if they could not get to heaven by being good enough and Jesus didn’t sacrifice himself yet, that means every person born from Adam until Jesus’s death went to hell. Is this right?   A) Everybody…

A little background from this question asker, he is writing this from prison serving a life sentence. Q) CJ, Thank you for the info, this is awesome, it’s like having a living encyclopedia. I hope both of you had a great weekend. I was kind of depressed , thinking about my past and my kids…

Q1) Why does God call some and leave others to perish?   ​A1) John 3:16 says that God doesn’t want ANY to perish. God does not actually send anybody to hell. God gives us a choice, and many choose hell. God went so far out of his way to assure we can be saved that…

Q) John 7:8 – Jesus says I’m not going to the festival, then he goes later. Does this mean he lied?   A) ​Jesus more likely just changed his mind. The Heavenly Father part of the trinity God Head could not make mistakes, and could see the future better than we remember the past or even…

Q) Don’t you think its kind of rude when Jesus equated gentiles with dogs? I can’t remember exactly how it was phrased but the woman said’ even dogs get the scraps from the masters table.   A) In Matthew 15:21–28, Jesus encounters a Canaanite woman who begs Him to cure her daughter. Jesus initially refuses her…

Q)  Why is Jesus always portrayed with long hair? and the apostles?​ ​ The Bible says he could slip in a crowd and disappear. That means he must have looked like everyone else at that time, short cropped hair with ordinary looks, and Jesus followed the old test which said men should have short hair.​…

Q1) Do you think its possible for Judas to be in heaven? I’m sure if he committed suicide, he was very regretful and sorry and praying to God to forgive him after he realized what he did.   A1) I doubt that he is, but that is not because of his sin. Let me explain. The…

How special is the relationship of our mothers! God has designed it this way. When God decided that he needed to become a human, he chose to accomplish this without an earthly father, but not without an earthly mother. It was designed this way from the very beginning. So to that end, let us salute…

Q) Is reincarnation possible? Jesus said that john the baptist was actually Elisha. Does this prove reincarnation?   A) Matthew 11:7–14 declares, “Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: ‘What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A…

Q) Is there any significance that Jesus was hung between 2 thieves?   A) Yes. The punishment of crucifixion was reserved for the lowest of criminals. ​The fact that this particular means of execution, and his place among the thieves is symbolic of our lowly state in which God took our place within.

Q) Jesus doesn’t lie. He said that ‘just as Joanna was 3 days and 3 nights in the fish , he will also be in the earth”. If Jesus died on Fri. and rose on Sun. that is only 1.5 days and only 2 nights this must be wrong. He must have been arrested on Tues,…

Q) Are some people born for destruction?  Maybe so they can be examples for God. If so, does anyone really have a choice in anything?   A) This question brings us to a theological debate that scholars have been having for centuries. There seems to be some confusion about what the word “predestination” means. The…

Q) What do you say to people when they try to attack you by saying you don’t act like Jesus or you’re not trying to be like Jesus?   A) Well, it is often unfortunately very true, that we rarely act like “little Christs”, which is what the word Christian actually means. People forget that…

Q1) I don’t understand what it means when it says we are created in the image of God.   A1) This is a great question. I believe we are created in Gods image in the following ways   1) We physically look like him. John chapter 1 says that in the beginning was the Word, and…

Q1) Is the holy Spirit another part of the trinity or is it the power and essence of God? A1) There are a few different types of Christian theology about this, and basically when you break them all down, we find Christians who believe one or the other of your statements about the Holy Spirit. Though…

Q1) CJ, that last answer was amazing. You are so full of knowledge. You help me so much, you don’t even know. I’m constantly thinking and thinking about God and how the Bible fits perfectly within itself that I’m in awe. I’ve recently been hearing about the devil and how he sinned and was kicked…

Q1) What does it mean when Jesus says he is the son of man?   A1) When Jesus calls himself, or is referred to by others, as the Son of Man, He is referring to his humanity. He is referring to the part of his life that is all human. Also, there is an implication…

Q1) From Adam to Moses there was no law. Are they free from judgement?   A1) We see an example of Adam and Eve being held accountable for their sin of eating from the forbidden tree, which is log before God prescribed the Mosaic law.    We also see Cain judged for his sin, once when…

The phrase “iron sharpens iron” is found in Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” There is mutual benefit in the rubbing of two iron blades together; the edges become sharper, making the knives more efficient in their task to cut and slice. Likewise, the Word of God is a “double-edged…

Question: “Does the Bible condone slavery?” Answer: There is a tendency to look at slavery as something of the past. But it is estimated that there are today over 27 million people in the world who are subject to slavery: forced labor, sex trade, inheritable property, etc. As those who have been redeemed from the…

Q) John 5:29 – Does this mean that all people that died before Jesus are judged by their works when they were living?   A) John 5:29 (NIV) 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.  …

Q1) Jesus said to the man at the healing pool ,after Jesus healed him, ‘John 5-14’ ‘do not sin anymore so that nothing worse happens to you’. Does this mean he was punished and crippled because of him sinning?   A1) Not exactly. This is saying that there are fates much worse than a life as a…