Swordworx

OUR CHOICES MATTER
Love Everybody, But Aim High For Your Inner Circle
Proverbs 13:20, 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Psalm 1:1-2

People and animals share the fundamental ability to learn by observing and mimicking others, but humans take imitation to much higher level than mere behavior. Our character draws our associations, and our associations influence our choices- for better or worse.

Here's a quick spiritually practical tip to change your life immediately if you're in a rut or being inundated by goofballs:

You will find that if you regularly hang around five successful people, you will likely become the 6th.

If you regularly hang out with five intelligent people, you will also likely be the 6th.

In the same way, if you regularly hang out with five knuckleheads, guess what's going to happen? Yessir, you WILL be the sixth. Start checking that inventory.

"A WISE WORD COSTS NOTHING"
But Could Mean Everything To Someone

I have seen famous preachers eviscerate people to tears, and I have seen elderly dementia patients snap out of an incoherent maelstrom hearing a child's voice say, "I love you". You don't need to be an hotdog Theologian to encourage a soul or even be spoken through by God, Himself.

One scripture holds a key to treating many forms of mental illness today. I refer to Proverbs 25:11 "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pitchers of silver."

Capable Bible students stay ready and available at all times for God to put them in play for the Kingdom. They don't need to be debate champs or "Bible Jeopardy" nerds, but believers do need to become skilled at discerning how and when to minister the comforting words of the Lord to people in need.

*JUST CARE
Communicate with others. Smile more; ask how things are going in their world; listen to what they say; encourage them, pray for (or with) them;, read a relevant scripture to them if appropriate, and follow up with them. The Lord may have appointed you to provide just what some people need to keep going in times of trouble.

Even in the most difficult of circumstances, Jesus promises an epic future to all those whose faith is in Him.

"UNDERSTANDING THE NARROW GATE MYSTERY"
How Narrow Did Ya’ll Say That Thing Is Again?

Spoiler: The more our academic community has learned about interpreting Holy Scripture, the faster students of the New Testament quickly found out that (uh oh) a whole lot more people will be ending up in hell, rather than heaven. What?! How?! Because few get past what Jesus calls, “a narrow gate”, through which only few can enter their eternal home in Gloryland. This whole story is often butchered like a bad recipe, leading some to erroneously wonder if an additional requirement for redemption is being revealed here. Nope, no rules are being added. This is simply an illustration of the Christian faith's central truth. Not even Zepbound could get anybody skinny enough to fit through the narrow door He's talking about, so let's check out what's up with this mystery.

*TWO GATES
The narrow gate, also called the narrow "door", is referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:23-24. He compares the narrow gate to the “broad road” which leads to destruction (hell) and says that “many” will be on that road. By contrast, Jesus says that “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” His riddles can be so cool, but what exactly does that mean? Just how many are the “many” and how few are the “few”?

*JESUS IS THE DOOR
Our key to solving the narrow door (gate) mystery is understanding that Jesus, Himself, is the Door (John 10:9). The point is, He's the One through which all must enter eternal life. If we are walking in Him, we're gonna fit through whatever door He wants. There is no other way because He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). The way to eternal life is restricted to just one avenue—Christ. In this sense, the way is, obviously, narrow because it is the only way, and relatively few people will go through the narrow gate. Many more will attempt to find an alternative route to God. They will try to get there through manmade rules and regulations, through false religion, or through self-effort. These who are “many” will follow the broad road that leads to eternal destruction, while the sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him along the narrow way to eternal life (John 10:7-11).

*A FINAL CHANCE TO BE SAVED
While there will be relatively few who go through the narrow gate compared to the many on the broad road, there will still be multitudes who will follow the Good Shepherd during the Tribulation (post Rapture). The apostle John saw this multitude in his vision in the book of Revelation: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10).

*EPILOGUE
Entering the narrow gate is not easy. Jesus made this clear when He instructed His followers to “strive” to do so. The Greek word translated “strive” is 'agonizomai', from which we get the English word "agonize". The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle and strain, like a running athlete straining toward the finish line. Remember, though, that no amount of effort saves us; salvation is by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one will ever earn heaven by striving for it.

THE TWELFTH IMAM (or, Mahdi)
The Last Days According To Islam

Intro:
Leading the charge of “the religion of peace” to dominate the world, destroy all other religions, enslave entire populations, murder all of us pesky infidels, and eliminate what they call the “little satan” (Israel), as well as the “great satan” (the United States), is the Islamic Republic of Iran. The “Jabba the Hut” of the Middle East, Iran has been the largest sponsor of global terrorism on earth for the past fifty years. Let’s take a closer look at the driving philosophy of this 7th-Century hate cult, and the dark forces really behind it.

Main:
Christianity has an eschatology (the Theological branch concerned with the end of the world) based on the Word of God. Correspondingly, Islam has their own eschatology, which is most emphatically not (based on God’s Word). Still, Islam is more than a mere speck on our radar. As of this 2026, they are the world’s second largest religion (2 Billion adherents), next to Christianity (2.4 Billion adherents).

A key figure in Islamic eschatology is known as “The Twelfth Imam”. He is not a Christo-biblical idea, but rather a concept in Shia Islam tied to Muslim beliefs about the end times. Shia Islam is the second-largest, and most radical Muslim denomination;. Shia gives greater weight to the title “Imam” (a prayer or community leader) than does Sunni Islam. Iran's current supreme leadership is exclusively Shia Muslim.

Most Shia believe there have only been twelve “true” Imams, the last of which has been hiding unseen on earth since the ninth century. According to this belief, “the last Imam” will supposedly return, one day (interestingly along with Jesus Christ), to defeat Satan and an antichrist-like figure called, Al-Masih ad-Dajjal. (Wow, I am imagining a “UFC BATTLE OF THE MEGA-TITANS” cage match (with a twist ending, perhaps?) but I digress.

Anyway, most Shia subscribe to an approach called ‘Imamiyyah’, often referred to in English as “Twelvers.” These Shia believe in only twelve men who can be called an “Imam.” All were born between the seventh and ninth centuries. The last, according to most Shia, was the Twelfth Imam: Muhammad bin al-Hasan (also named Abu al-Qasim Muhammad), more commonly referred to as Muhammad al-Mahdi or simply, “Mahdi”.

Mahdi is a title meaning “guided one.” He is anticipated as the perfect Muslim who will reappear and unite the world under Islam and Shia Law. According to Shia beliefs, Muhammad bin al-Hasan was born near the end of the ninth century and was no longer seen after the middle of the tenth century. This disappearance was supposedly not the result of death, but of a divine cloaking known as “occultation”.

The doctrine of occultation contrasts with the belief of Sunni Muslims and a small proportion of Shia Muslims who believe al-Mahdi has not yet been born. Or, at least, that he has not yet publicly appeared on the world stage. Shia belief that the role of the Twelfth Imam is largely responsible for Iran’s approach to international politics.

Many credible Bible scholars and observers of world events see an interesting correlation between this “Mahdi” figure and the Bible’s depiction of the Antichrist.

THE RAPTURE and THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
What’s The Difference?

NOTE FROM ME:
Respected prophetic timelines in Scripture show humanity facing two historic, supernatural events sooner than people may think. I’d like to offer a simple tip to strengthen your faith as we are enter final approach to this eventuality: When God states in His Word that He’s going to do anything, don’t get stalled out wondering about “how” it’s gonna happen. Consider that “classified’. We don’t need to know that info, and our brains are not wired to handle that stuff, anyway. He’s just going to do it, so count on it . . . and hold on.

Main:
The Rapture, like many fundamental Biblical doctrines, can often seem bewildering. The word “Rapture” isn’t found in the Bible, which is why precipitous scripture sleuths sometimes question the event's reality. Yet, a liitle digging will find that it originates from the term “Raptus”, which was used in the Latin Vulgate translation of the New Testament to better translate the Greek word “harpazo”, meaning “a sudden, irresistible and supernatural removal of someone from one place to another." In addition to its Rapture connection, we read "harpazo" used in other Biblical accounts, such as the instant transport of Philip to Azotus following his ministry to the Ethiopian Eu**ch (Acts 8:39), Paul's vision of being caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4), and elsewhere.

Sometimes it is hard to determine whether a scripture verse is referring to the Rapture or the Second Coming. In studying end-times Bible prophecy, though, it is very important to differentiate between the two.

*RAPTURE
The Rapture is when Jesus Christ returns FOR His church, allowing us escape from God’s planet-wide wrath during the Tribulation period. At a predetermined time, an angelic fanfare will announce His cloud-level pass into our atmosphere. There, He will command the physical removal of all Christian believers from the face of the earth, with full resurrection power. The Rapture is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. How? Who cares! Let’s go.

*SECOND COMING
The Second Coming, occurring some years after the Rapture, is when Jesus returns WITH his church from heaven to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom. The Second Coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.

So, the Rapture and Second Coming are similar but separate events. Both involve Jesus returning. Both are end-times events. However, it is crucially important to recognize the differences. In summary, the Rapture is the return of Christ in the clouds to remove all believers from the earth before the time of God’s wrath. The Second Coming is the return of Christ to the earth to bring the Tribulation to an end and to defeat the Antichrist and his evil world empire.

“RECEIVING THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS LITTLE CHILDREN”
How Does That Work?

In Mark 10:13–16, Jesus is traveling through Judea when people bring their children to Him for a blessing. The disciples, thinking they are protecting Jesus’ time and dignity, scold the parents and try to send the children away. Jesus becomes angry with His disciples and responds, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (verses 14–15).

Jesus not only permits the children to come to Him but also lifts them as examples of humility, trust, and openness—qualities required of those who would receive His kingdom. Leading up to this scene, the disciples had resisted Jesus’ teachings about His upcoming suffering, emptying, and humiliation (see Mark 8:32; 9:10, 19, 31–32). They demonstrated arrogance and independence, thinking they could dictate the terms of salvation to God rather than humbly receive His plan. The Lord seizes this opportunity to clarify that His kingdom is open only to those prepared to embrace His message of a suffering Servant and Savior. We accept the Lord’s plan and receive His kingdom by relinquishing our pride and trusting His words, just like a little child trusts a loving parent.

In Jesus’ day, children held an extremely low social position. They possessed no authority and contributed little to society. They were dependent, vulnerable, and entirely reliant on others for care. These are qualities adults often resist, but they exemplify the posture of a kingdom servant. Thus, to receive the kingdom of God like a little child means to approach Him with simple faith, trust, and dependence.

The children did not come to Jesus with credentials or accomplishments. They came empty-handed, humbly depending on Him to provide everything for them. Likewise, salvation is not something that we can earn through human effort, status, or pedigree (Romans 3:20–28; 4:4–5; Galatians 2:16; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5). The Bible teaches that we are saved “by his grace” and we “can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God” (Ephesians 2:8, NLT). A childlike heart recognizes its own neediness and gladly receives what God freely gives.

A little child naturally believes the words of a loving parent. This simple, unobstructed trust is the opposite of self-reliance. The rich young ruler, who came to Jesus immediately after the little children (see Mark 10:17–31), trusted in his own wealth and achievements. But Jesus called His followers to trust and believe in God alone (John 11:25–26; 14:1, 6). Proverbs 3:5 echoes this posture: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Childlike faith rests in God’s character and not its own reasoning or strength.

Receiving the kingdom of God like a little child involves humility. Children do not pretend to be greater than they are. In Matthew 18:1–5, the disciples ask, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus brings forward a little child and answers, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (NLT).

Pride resists God’s rule, but humility welcomes it. Scripture tells us that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, NLT; see also 1 Peter 5:5; Proverbs 3:34). Salvation and entrance into God’s kingdom belong to those who bow low enough to receive it.

Children are typically eager to learn and ready to receive guidance. However, adults often complicate faith with skepticism or hardened hearts. God desires His followers to remain soft, teachable, and responsive (Proverbs 12:1; 15:31–32; John 14:23–24; James 1:19, 22–25). Psalm 25:9 affirms that the Lord “guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”

By blessing the little children, Jesus showed that receiving His kingdom is a gift, not a reward. The Greek word translated as “receive” (dexētai) in Mark 10:15 means to welcome or accept what is offered. This idea agrees with Jesus’ words in Luke 12:32: “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (NLT). Children do not earn gifts; they merely receive them with joy.

In Mark 10:15, Jesus invites us to lay aside our pride, self‑sufficiency, and spiritual achievements, and instead come to Him with the simplicity of a little child—trusting, humble, dependent, and open. Only those who receive the kingdom of God in this way will truly enter it.

Let's see how this is done.

“GLORIFIED BODIES”
Understanding The Christian’s Physical Transition To Immortality

(This is a bit heavy, but I pray it will bless you)

Throughout our lives on earth, we are allowed to experience wonderful things. Thanks to original sin, however, we also must endure terrible things like aging, sickness, disease, poverty, sadness, loss, betrayal, hatred, chaos, and an entire assortment of miserable conditions that all push us toward the final curtain. This is the human experience, pessimistically encapsulated by the hopeless in a phrase, “Life sucks and then you die.”

Well in actuality, no. The Bible teaches that dying is not the end for anyone; it’s a inescapable transition to our personal future. For the unredeemed, physical death means instant, everlasting, maximum suckage in hell. No newcomer orientations, friendly tour guides, or explanations….just “boom”, and there they are suddenly covering their privates on a hot rock in hades. There they will stay until Jesus relocates that entire group to their ultimate destination later on, described as a “fiery lake of burning sulphur” (Rev 20:14-15; and 2:28).

Those secure in Christ at death, however, will not only be instantly in the presence of the Lord in heaven, but He will be providing us with new glorified, incorruptible bodies with which to enjoy our celestial home with Him and our loved ones already there.

*GLORIFIED BODIES?
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul talks about the type of new body we will have after the resurrection. The resurrection/glorified body will differ from the body we now possess in a few ways. Paul uses several illustrations to help clarify his point:

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

Also, check out the resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:35–42, NKJV)

*TERRESTRIAL AND CELESTIAL BODIES
The difference between our current body and our future resurrection body is the difference between a seed and its mature fruit; between a celestial body (“a body relating to the heavens”) and a terrestrial body (“a body relating to the earth”). Examples of celestial bodies are the sun, moon, and stars. Terrestrial bodies are those such as humans, animals, fish, and birds have. Both celestial and terrestrial bodies possess a glory of their own, but they are different types of glory. And within those basic categories, the levels of glory vary.

Our current bodies are terrestrial—they are perfectly fit for an earthly existence. At the resurrection, we will receive celestial bodies—bodies perfectly fit for eternity. In the same passage, Paul describes the resurrection body as imperishable; glorious, powerful, and spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:42).

Taking the whole of 1 Corinthians 15, we have the following descriptions of the terrestrial body versus the celestial body:

• earthly vs. heavenly (verse 40)
• perishable vs. imperishable (verse 42)
• dishonorable vs. glorified (verse 43)
• subject to weakness vs. raised in power (verse 43)
• natural vs. spiritual (verse 44)
• bearing Adam’s image vs. bearing Christ’s image (verse 49)
• mortal vs. immortal (verse 53)

Just as fish, birds, and other animals have bodies suited to live in whatever environment God intended for them, believers will one day have bodies suited for life on a celestial plane. They will have a body fit for heaven—that is, on the new earth in eternity (see Revelation 21:1). The celestial body will be made of flesh (like Jesus’ resurrected body is), but a different kind of flesh than what we have now. We could also say that the resurrection body—the celestial body—will have a different “splendor” than our earthly, natural, terrestrial body.

The celestial body, being suited to eternal life, will not be subject to decay or death; it will not be inconvenienced by any of the physical functions necessary for life here and now. The spiritual body will be a real body, but in a different mode of being. To use Paul’s illustration in 1 Corinthians 15:39, our bodies now are the “seed”; our bodies then will be the bloom. Just as a tulip is more glorious than the bulb from which it came, the celestial body will be more glorious than the terrestrial body that died.

In this fleshly body we now possess, we cannot enter or enjoy the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50). That will change at the resurrection. We will be transformed (verse 51). Right now, “the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). For the believer, after the resurrection, the flesh will be fully capable of serving God. Gone will be the flaws and fragility that pervade life today.

Praise the Lord, “when the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable . . . then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:54).