Samuel Crees and his Thoughts

  Saving faith is deeper than repeating a prayer or agreeing that God exists. In Scripture, it is a God-given trust in Christ that receives Him, rests in Him, and then begins to follow Him. What saving faith is Saving faith has at least three parts: knowing the gospel, believing it is true, and personally trusting Christ with your soul. It is not mere head knowledge, because even demons can acknowledge facts about God without surrendering to Him. It is not self-salvation, because Scripture says salvation is by grace through faith, and even that faith is the gift of God. Seems to me we argue with the fact that we must have head knowledge to understand (I know I think that quite often), but the fact is, I also, at times, feel it as part of my very soul. So I want you to study something; above, it says that even the demons can acknowledge things about God. I will go one further, for the leader of the demons is Satan, the Devil, and he was in the presence of God, and was cast out of h...

 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease characterized by the immune system mistakenly attacking the synovium, the delicate lining of the joints. This process leads to persistent inflammation, which, if left unchecked, destroys cartilage and bone, eventually resulting in joint deformity, loss of mobility, and potential joint fusion. While the exact etiology remains unknown, it is widely understood in medical literature to result from a complex interplay of genetic predisposition—particularly involving human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes—hormonal factors, and environmental triggers such as smoking, stress, or exposure to pollutants. The systemic nature of RA means its effects extend far beyond the joints. Inflammatory substances produced within the joints circulate throughout the body, potentially damaging internal organs, including the lungs, heart, skin, eyes, and mouth. Long-term complications are severe if the disease is not managed, ranging from perm...

  Ekklesia is one of the most important words for understanding the New Testament doctrine of the church, and it does not mean “building,” “denomination,” or merely “religious institution.” In Scripture, it most fundamentally means an assembly or gathered body, and the New Testament uses it both in ordinary civic senses and for Christ’s people. The word itself The Greek word is ἐκκλησία (ekklesia). Standard lexicons gloss it as “church, congregation, assembly; a group of people gathered together,” and in the New Testament it can refer to the church of Christ, a local congregation, or even an ordinary civic assembly. A simple breakdown often given is ek (“out of”) + kaleō (“to call”), but the safest and most important point is not a speculative etymology; it is how the word is actually used in Scripture and Greek literature. In practice, ekklesia means people assembled for a purpose. Often said, A Called-Out Assembly. In other words, it must have a purpose, and not just a mob gath...

 The creation of the English Bible was a multi-century effort primarily driven by two foundational figures: John Wycliffe, who produced the first complete manuscript, and William Tyndale, who produced the first printed English translation from the original languages. To follow this line of thought, one must realize that these men devoted their life to God and the interpretation of His Word, and for the life they led, and the troubles they endured that they were inspired and helped by the Holy Spirit. Think for a minute that they first had to have the gift of understanding, of languages, and of cultural obstacles, and things of that time. These men also had communication with others who were as gifted, and perhaps afraid for their lives to be known. In any language, we know that God is all-powerful, and protects His Divine Word for His purposes alone, and it is never about man. If you know this, then even the simplest of men, or women, can read and see if any scripture is of the con...

Call No Man Father  The phrase "call no man father" is found in Matthew 23:9 of the King James Version (KJV). Jesus instructed: "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." Context and Meaning: • Religious vs. Biological Titles: Jesus was not forbidding children from calling their biological parents "father" or canceling the command to honor one's parents. Instead, He was addressing the spiritual and religious hierarchy of the time. • Avoiding Exaltation: He was condemning the habit of using titles of supreme religious authority (like "Rabbi," "Master," or "Father") in a way that placed spiritual leaders in a position of supreme reverence meant only for God. • Protestant Views: Many Christians in this camp interpret the verse as a prohibition against using religious titles like "Father" or "Holy Father" for clergy (such as priests), emphasizing that God alone...

  The Only Way by Which Someone is Saved! Just God’s Word is the best Teacher: The King James Bible explicitly teaches that Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved. Salvation cannot be achieved through personal merit, good works, or any other religious figure. The New Testament highlights this truth with several foundational verses: • Acts 4:12: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." • John 14:6: Jesus states, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." • Acts 16:30-31: When asked what must be done to be saved, the Apostle Paul and Silas replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." • Romans 10:9: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." The consistent message throughout the KJV is...

  Worldly Progress Changes Scripture? The question of whether worldly progress or shifting cultural paradigms should alter the interpretation of biblical meaning is a central tension in theology. According to the foundational tenets of Christian doctrine, Scripture is considered fixed and immutable because it reflects the unchanging nature of God, rather than being a malleable document subject to the fluctuations of human progress. God is Immutable, never changing, God is All-Knowing, All-Seeing, and All-powerful, and God knows the End from the Beginning, and so He knows what all His creation needs before they do in every instance, knowing when the sparrow falls, or feeds the animals, and above all there is no proof, actual proof of evolution on any scale, so God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures are perfect in everyway, and apply to all generations without end, and no need for improvements on any level at any time. The concept of God’s immutability—His inability to change in character o...

  The question of women’s roles in church leadership is a subject of intense theological debate, characterized by two primary interpretive frameworks: complementarianism and egalitarianism. Those who advocate for women in pastoral and leadership roles do not generally view their calling as a rejection of God’s design, but rather as a faithful response to spiritual gifting and the broader witness of Scripture. I do have a particular mental block for after years of collecting books, commentaries, and particular writers of scripture, I have found that if they deviate from an exact verse, or context of a section of scripture that they always tend to bring into the context their opinions, and always a trending world view.  It is not a maybe, or if, it is a fact, and so I tend to read all scripture exactly as it is written, and I find very few people who agree with that.  Throughout church history there has been a push for women to be in leadership roles, and the usual point i...

  How Much Salt? What have you been told? The human body's absolute minimum requirement for sodium to properly conduct nerve impulses, contract muscles, and balance fluids is about 200 to 500 mg per day (which is less than 1/4 teaspoon of salt). However, major health organizations recommend higher daily limits, as salt is processed by the body and naturally lost through sweat and digestion. Physical Measurements of Salt and Sodium Because "salt" (sodium chloride) is only about 40% sodium and 60% chloride, the measurements scale up dramatically. • 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt: Contains about 500 mg of sodium (the bare minimum daily bodily requirement). • 3/4 Teaspoon of Salt: Contains about 1,500 mg of sodium (the optimal daily limit recommended by the American Heart Association). • 1 Teaspoon of Salt: Contains about 2,300 mg of sodium (the maximum daily limit recommended by the AHA and the FDA). • 1 Tablespoon of Salt: Contains about 7,000 mg of sodium. • 1/4 Cup of Salt: Contain...

  This vision in Revelation 20:1–3 sits at the climax of the book’s conflict: God decisively restrains Satan so that God’s kingdom purposes can proceed to their appointed end. To “totally understand” it, it helps to take it in three layers: (1) what the text actually says and pictures, (2) the main ways Christians have understood it, and (3) how it ties into the rest of Scripture and to our lives. 1. Walking through the text slowly 1. “An angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.” - The “bottomless pit” (abyss) is the place of restraint for demonic powers in Revelation 9:1–3 and 11:7. - The key and chain picture real authority and effective restraint, not Satan acting freely. 2. “He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” - “Dragon … old serpent” clearly links back to Genesis 3 (the serpent in Eden) and Revelation 12:9 (dragon = Satan). - The “thousand years” i...