growandknow

No Commas In Original Greek Text...Thief To Be In Paradise When ?

2012-01-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

It is important to remember that in most versions the translation of certain passages was “slanted” to suit the popular teachings of the day. This was not necessarily deliberate, though some preconceived idea is much inclined to influence a translator’s thinking. That notorious verse containing our Lord’s words to the thief on the cross is doubtless the best known example of theological influence on translation in the A.V. Since there are no punctuation marks in the Greek, the translator here elected to place a comma where it would reflect his own theological bias. This distorts our Lord’s promise to the thief as if it were something he would realize that day: “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Properly punctuated, the promise should read: “Verily I say unto thee today, thou shall be with me in paradise.” The incorrectly rendered text accords with orthodox theology and the error which still persists among nominal Christians, that death is followed immediately by some kind of disembodied existence. This theory does violence to the entire context of Scripture truth. Our Lord’s words as rendered by the misplaced comma would be no answer to the thief’s prayer asking to be remembered when Christ comes into His kingdom. The promise he did receive, and will in due time enjoy, is that he will be with Christ in paradise when His glorious earthly kingdom dawns. Vividly then will the thief recall the day on which he received the promise – “Verily I say unto thee TODAY [THIS DAY]” – that former dark day when all hope of Messiah’s kingdom seemed lost, so only faith of the highest quality could look beyond the day of the Suffering Servant and visualize His future as David’s Greater Son.

Treasures of Truth, No. 10, August-September 1973 Reading, England

Luke 23:43

by – Cecil J. Blay

http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn280.pdf

Know What Scriptures Really Say...Men Have Fooled Around Too Much

2012-01-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

THE CONCORDANT METHOD
A.E. Knoch

    As an earnest Bible student, desiring to understand the word of God, I discovered that practically all solid progress in the recovery of truth during the last century had come through the use of the concordance. I found that those of my friends who based their study on a concordance made the surest and speediest advance in their knowledge of God. Hence I also began to test and correct my ideas as to the meaning of Bible words by tracing them through all their occurrences. The immense profit and pleasure of this plan awoke in me a strong desire to do all in my power to assist others in this safe and satisfactory method of assuring themselves of the real revelation which God has given.
    But I found that even keen students of exceptional intelligence were not able to derive much benefit from concordances based on English translations. Only those who used concordances based on the original languages received real help. And even they were harassed by using a version which continually counteracted the benefits of their concordant study. So it gradually dawned on me that it was foolish to fill my mind with a discordant version if I hoped to advance in the knowledge of God. It would be just as save to tangle up a ball of twine before trying to use it.
    Thus it was that the idea of a concordant version suggested itself to my mind. Instead of correcting current translations occasionally by a concordance, why not make a version which is already concordant, so that the simple reading of it will give all the benefits otherwise won by prolonged and arduous study? Indeed, such a version might do far more to bring the unschooled reader into accord with the truth than would be possible by the patient and prolonged study of a concordance. For instance, it would be easy to explain what the soul is if our translators had never rendered it life. It would be an impossible task to correct all the mistranslatings in the minds of Bible readers. Why not make a version in which psuchê is always soul, and zôê life?

A REVERENT METHOD

No one could honestly object to this method, for it is not based on human scholarship but on a worshipful recognition of the divine Author's ability to make Himself understood. Most versions always render zôê life, so that no one is at a loss to know the significance of the word. But how few know whatsoul means! That is because it is not uniformly translated. In the Hebrew Scriptures it is rendered by over forty different expressions, such as appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, ghost, heart, lust, man, mind, pleasure, but especially by life. The Greek word is rendered mind, heart, and life (more than thirty times) besides soul.

A SANE PRINCIPLE

I appeal to the sanctified common sense of the saints, "the spirit of a sound mind" (2Ti.1:7). If the holy spirit intended us to understand life in so many places where the original has soul, why was not the word for life used? I came to the definite conclusion, which has been strengthened by tests extending over a quarter century of study, that wherever possible, each word in the original should be represented in translation by only one English word. Then the English reader, seeing this English word in all of the correct contexts, subconsciously acquires its exact signification and force and color.
Another principle I found to be of just as great importance. The same illustration will serve. Even the word life has lost its distinct meaning by being used for soul. No one would tolerate such a translation as : The first man Adam was made a living life." Why, then translate "Take no thought for your life"? (Lu. 12:22). Why not "Do not worry about the soul"? No English word should do duty for more than one word of the original. This is quite as necessary as using only one English word for each Greek or Hebrew expression. Between the two we have the best possible safety device for insuring purity, clarity, and accuracy in the translation of God's holy word.

A SIMPLE SHORT CUT

The CONCORDANT VERSION is not another burden for the student to bear, but an easy, simple, short cut to knowledge which would cost him more than a lifetime of study by any other method. Instead of giving him a puzzle to solve, it gives him the solution. He does not need to study a concordance of the original to find out the exact meaning of any word. First, he is assured that he has the nearest English equivalent. Second, he knows that when he sees it he may depend upon it that the light of the context is true and not a false beacon to lead him astray.
The greatest benefit will come, not to the student as such, but to the humble reader who will simplyuse the version and allow the contexts to color each word and define its force for him. He will be a constant attendant in the school of God, quite independent of human learning or scholarship.

NOT A MODERN VERSION

The CONCORDANT is not a "modern" version. Neither is it archaic. The method is such that little regard could be paid to the outward embellishment of thought. All appearances are subordinated to truth. Yet truth is itself so desirable and beautiful that only the superficial and unbelieving will prefer error because it is arrayed in robes rich and venerable. The living Word was not clothed in sumptuous garb to entice the eye. He had no form or comeliness. There was no beauty, that they should desire Him. So is the written word. The desire to dress it up is of the world and not of God. Those who despise its meanness ally themselves with the throng who crucified the Lord of glory.
We are warned that, in the latter eras, religious men will want their ears tickled rather than their hearts aroused (2Ti.4:3). They will prefer the musical to the true. Familiar, finely phrased error will appeal to their ears rather than inspired facts to their minds. But truth has a spiritual harmony and sweet accord which no dissonance can mar, and which is unutterably more pleasing to the anointed ear than all the music of mere sound.

BASED ON THE ORIGINAL

The concordant method of studying the scriptures uses a concordance to discover the meaning of a word, not in any version, but in the original. It is based on its occurrences in the Hebrew, Chaldee, or Greek, however it may be translated into English. The aim is to discover the usage and fix its signification by its inspired associations. It is in line with the linguistic law that the meaning of a word is decided by its usage. In this version the efficiency and value of this method has been greatly multiplied by extending it to the elements of which words are composed and by combining with it the vocabulary method, which deals with each word as a definite province of the realm of thought which must be carefully kept within its own boundaries.

WORD ANALYSIS

The evidence for the exact force of a given expression is multiplied many times if we separate it into its elements. Take one of the two words which are usually rendered "foundation". Its elements areDOWN-CAST, and the Greek has found its way into English in the word catabolism. The element DOWNbrings in two hundred witnesses, while CAST commands over fifty, These we may call its near relatives. They arouse a suspicion in our minds that DOWN-CASTing is a strange and unlikely word for "foundation". It does not suggest building up but casting down. By testing this new thought in all the contexts we discover that DOWN-CASTing means disruption, not foundation.

THE ENGLISH-GREEK SUBLINEAR

Not only does the separation of the Greek vocabulary into its elements help in fixing its true meaning, but it enables us to build up an artificial English-Greek for use in the Sublinear which brings the two languages together in a most interesting and profitable way. The reader who knows no Greek is easily able to follow and grasp the idiom of the original, and to enjoy God's revelation in the very mold in which He cast it. There is the same relation between His thoughts and words, and between the words themselves that exists in the inspired autographs.
Such an English-Greek translation is by far the best instrument for making a version in which the thoughts, rather than the identical symbols of thought, must be used. The human mind at its best is limited. The keenest intellect needs this assistance. The mathematician might be able to count without the use of figures. But how far could the science of mathematics go if it had no numerals? So the Elements used in this version help to convey the precise values of the Greek into the English. Such a word as repentance in far more colorful when we find that, in Greek, it is called "after-MIND".

GRAMMATICAL STANDARDS

    Still greater is the gain in the grammatical elements. Take the word usually rendered Who hath abolished (2Ti. 1:10). Now we know that death has not been abolished yet. From the ending of the word we see that its grammatical elements associate it with indefinite verbals, which do not state the time of the action. Hundreds of other passages, where this form is used, focus their light on this, and we are practically compelled to render it Who abolishes. The great value of this change is instantly evident, for we can literally believe it, though we could not believe that death has been abolished.
    We unhesitatingly make two tremendous claims for concordant uniformity in transferring the grammatical elements into English. The probability of such renderings being correct is increased many fold, for all the evidence is continually before us, and subject to scrutiny. Moreover, even if a standard should be wrong, or, what is more likely, is not a perfect equivalent, the very fact that it occurs in all the divine contexts will tend to modify and correct it. Uniformity in rendering Greek grammatical elements into English is even more important than present exactness, for it is the only way to eventual exactitude.
    We have taken the Greek grammatical elements and given to each a corresponding English form. Any one can see what confusion will result if we should not always translate a past by a past, a future by a future, and a present by a present. We must fort out our equivalents in this way or truth is turned into pious error. The very fact that there is a special form of the past proves that the indefinite is not a past. If the past can be rendered I wrote, the indefinite must be different. The existence of the present incomplete form, I am writing, bars the indefinite from this rendering. If we assign all available English forms except the Greek indefinite and have nothing but the English indefinite left, that alone goes far to prove the correctness of I write. No other method can be so save of satisfactory.

THE VOCABULARY METHOD

    The concordant method has been used in a fragmentary way for a century. So far as we know, the CONCORDANT VERSION is the first attempt to employ it systematically and exhaustively by applying it to the complete vocabulary of the sacred text. From this has sprung the complementary "vocabulary" method. It insists, not on uniformity, but the opposite. If PLACE-CARE means foundation, and its elements and contexts clearly agree with that meaning, then DOWN-CASTing, which our versions so translate, does not mean foundation. In some languages we may not always have enough words to cover all cases, but English certainly ought to furnish sufficient. In this extreme example, the words are totally unlike in elements, association and contexts. One means foundation, the other disruption.
    The meaning or usage of one word is necessarily distinct from that of all other words. If we have placed all the words in the vocabulary of the Greek scriptures but one, we have a vast fund of information as to what it does not mean. This, of course, is not necessary with many words, but it is of the utmost value in dealing with words of similar or related meaning. Let any on study a passage in our accepted versions in which a number of synonyms are used together and he will find that our translators were forced to better work by the presence of words of nearly the same signification. What a pity they did not use such renderings elsewhere!
    Let us take an example from the so called Authorized Version. It translates twenty-one words depart. We will give the CONCORDANT standard of each and a passage, if possible, where they agree:

UP-LEAD they render led up (Mt.4:1) and departed (Ac.28:10).

UP-LOOSE is both return (Lu.12:36) and depart (Phil.1:23).

UP-SPACE, meaning retire, they render departed (Mt.2:12).

FROM-CHANGE, meaning clear, is departed (Ac.19:12).

FROM-COME, meaning pass away (Re.21:4) is depart (Mt.8:18).

FROM-LOOSE, meaning release (Mt.27:26) or dismiss (Ac.15:30) is sometimes depart (Ac.28:25).

FROM-SPACE is always correctly depart (Mt.7:23 Lu.9:39 Ac.13:13) as also in the CONCORDANT VERSION.

FROM-SPACEize they have tried to distinguish on one occasion by adding asunder (Ac.15:39), but in its other occurrences departed (Re.6:14). It means recoil.

FROM-STAND, withdraw (1Ti.6:5) is usually rendered departed (Lu.2:37)

THRU-SPACEize, sever, they make depart also (Lu.9:33)

THRU-COME, pass through (Lu.4:30) is once depart (Ac.13:14).

OUT-BE, be off, is twice depart (Ac.17:15).

OUT-COME, come out, (Mt.5:26) is depart (Mt.9:31) a few times.

OUT-GO, go out, is depart (Mt. 20:29).

DOWN-COME, come down (Lu.4:31) is once depart (Ac.13:4).

WITH-(after)-GO, proceed, is usually depart.

WITH-LIFT, withdraw, is also depart (Mt.13:53).

BESIDE-LEAD, pass by (Mk.2:14) is once departed (Mt.9:27).

GO (Mt.2:8) is occasionally varied to depart (Mt.2:9).

UNDER-LEAD, go away (Jn.14:28) is rendered depart (Mk.6:33).

SPACEize, separate (Ro.8:35) they have, on good grounds, rendered depart when it refers to a place (Ac.1:4; 18:1,2), and the English seems to have no nearer term, and the Greek word differs but slightly from FROM-SPACE.

    Is it not very evident that the translation of twenty words depart, when English has an abundant supply of synonyms, is in itself a departure from the dictates of reason and real reverence? How is it possible for the English reader to grasp twenty-one different ideas through the medium of one word? But the confusion is worse confounded by the fact that twenty different sets of contexts are throwing a false flood of light upon the word, and the light is darkness.
    The vocabulary method, used in the CONCORDANT VERSION, insists that each of these distinct ideas be distinguished from each other by a special symbol, if that is possible. It will be seen that, in most cases, the Authorized Version itself uses the proper word on some occasions. No plea for pious or venerable diction will convince the honest truth seeker that their erratic renderings are justified.
    In the trying task of transcribing the thoughts of another mind, which far transcends that of the translator, the ordinary methods of turning a human composition from one language into another are entirely inadequate. What a man has written a man can comprehend. The most effective course is to seize the foreign author's thought and express it afresh in a different tongue.
    But once we acknowledge that God, and not man, is the Author of the revelation which we will call the Sacred Scriptures, we are face to face with a spiritual problem akin to that which the scientist encounters in the sphere of nature. He can apprehend some, but never comprehend all. It has been demonstrated mathematically that the distance from one branch to another of a very common weed cannot be measured by any human scale. It is in a ratio whose solution demands a square root which is incommensurable. Now if a mere weed baffles the human intellect, what shall we say of His highest and greatest work? The Scriptures are for our apprehension, but very far beyond our comprehension.
    The ideal way of producing a perfect translation would be to find a man who could understand it all, fully and perfectly, and then have him turn it into English. But where is he? The staff of the CONCORDANT VERSION makes no claim whatever to such necessary knowledge and spiritual skill. On the contrary, the method employed is an admission on their part that such a task is entirely beyond the sphere of human attainment. The vital differences between the greatest of theologians make manifest the fact that no man or company of men can fully grasp divine revelation.
    During the past decade an average of one new translation has appeared annually, yet all differ in numberless details. That there can be such variety in results shows that the translations partake largely of the mind which acted as a medium. The differences are not in the text.
    Unless science had reduced its scattered facts into a system so that the human intellect could deal with its phenomena as the expression of law, it would still be groping in the dark domains of medieval philosophy. It would still be teaching that the heavier a stone, the faster it will fall. One single experiment would have demolished that dogma, but, in those days, "truth" rested on tradition and authority, not on fact. Science has made enormous strides ever since, despite the hindrance offered by unfounded theories. It resorts to experiment and founds truth on the regular recurrence of facts, that is, on law.
    But theology is still largely dominated by tradition and dependent on authority. The extent to which translations agree with such tradition and authority rather than with the inspired autographs is the measure of infidelity to fact and distance from truth.
    A true transcript of a divine revelation must be based on the laws of language rather than on the bias of theologians. What are these laws? How can they be applied? We will briefly consider them in this connection. We must remember, however, that English is not a pure language. It is a conglomeration of fragments from several languages. Sacred Greek, on the contrary, is one of the most perfect and law-abiding of all tongues. In English the same letters and sounds have a dozen distinct meanings. Each thought has a variety of close synonyms. Such difficulties are practically absent from the first century Greek.
    Everything in nature and revelation is known to us by its relation to other objects. We know nothing absolutely, only relatively. The same is true of the symbols, spoken or written, which we use to represent ideas. Hence, in studying words and their meanings, we are not so much concerned with the sign for a word, as with the relation this sustains to other signs. The meaning of a word depends on itsusage, that is the other words with which it is used; on its etymology, that is, the family from which it springs; and on the whole vocabulary of which it forms a part.
    Certain simple and common-sense laws have been discovered and confirmed which are of the greatest help to the linguist, the infraction of which is fraught with the most confusing consequences. One is,

No word is the exact equivalent of any other word.

    If a language, like English, is made up of several tongues, this rule seems to be contradicted. But such is the vitality of this law that such a condition refuses to be permanent. Many words once exactly alike, from the French and Anglo-Saxon, have gradually drifted apart, so that now no good writer will confuse them.
    Pork en pig were once the very same. Now the pig is in the pen and the pork is on the table. One is a living animal, the other, the flesh of a dead one.
    In the languages of inspiration such confusion is practically unknown. The few foreign words fill a vacant place. Each word stands for a definite idea. When, for instance, the divine Author wished to speak of life, what valid reason could be given if, occasionally, He should substitute the word soul? If He meant soul, why did He not use the symbols that expressed it? We are satisfied that He did not mean lifewhen He used the symbols for soul.

THE LAW OF LOCATION
Every word in the original should have its own English equivalent.

    If no two words are precisely alike in meaning in the original, it should not be necessary to prove that accuracy demands that each Greek word be supplied with a distinct English equivalent. This, however, cannot be successfully done without a comprehensive system. It is not sufficient that we have the same number of different words in each vocabulary. Each English word should be the one which comes nearest to covering the same domain of thought as the original, and, more particularly, sustains the same relation to the other words of the language.
    To make this clearer, we will compare the world of thought to the surface of the earth, and the words to the geographical and political divisions. There is, indeed, a signal instance - the ancient province of Asia - which shows how confusing its is to use geographical names in English which do not correspond with those in the Greek. Asia now includes a vast continent, and the English reader, unless warned, must get the idea that the entire territory of Asiatic Russia, China, Japan, Korea, Siam, India, Persia, Arabia, Palestine, and Asia Minor are included. So we have translated it "the province of Asia", for only a small part of the present Asia Minor is meant. In precisely the same way it is misleading to translate a general term for one that is specific.
    Carrying out our figure, we will call this the Law of Location. If the geographer must not confound England with New Zealand, the lexicographer should not confuse yea and nay (A.V., 1Co.4:3;6:8), orpour out and fill (A.V., Rev 14:10;18:6).
    But such accidents are rare and easily avoided. It is when two words are similar in meaning that the danger is greatest. Great Britain covers three countries but there are times when it is most important to distinguish between England, Scotland and Wales. Similarly, though all are sin, it is of the highest value to discriminate between injustice and transgression and offense.
    This is practically impossible when one of them, offense, is rendered sin (Eph.1:7), trespass (Eph.2:1), which is practically the same as transgression, as well as the usual word offense. The translators were restrained from rendering it sin in the first verse of the second of Ephesians by the immediate presence of the real word sin. In the vocabulary method of the CONCORDANT VERSION this restraint is always present, and debars it from following their example and lapse in to sin in the fifth verse.
    The only practical safeguard in apportioning to each Greek expression its most fitting English equivalent is to arrange the whole vocabulary in alphabetical order, so that any duplicates will immediately become apparent. If, for instance, we wish to translate FROM-LOOSing redemption, as it is ordinarily rendered, we will be confronted by the fact that this term is already appropriated by LOOSing. We then find that we need, not merely another word, but one which will register the difference indicated by the prefix FROM-. The word deliverance admirably performs this function.
    The vocabulary used by a translator should be such that, when superimposed on the vocabulary of the original, it will not only coincide as far as possible, but clearly define the boundaries between the words and their relation to one another. Such a task is necessarily imperfect in its results, due to radical differences in the idioms of language and also to the usage of words. The question arises whether these imperfections can be removed and, if so, how it is to be done.
    It is not enough, that each word should harmonize with its contexts. If a single English word seems to suit different sets of contexts, in which the original uses two expressions, that is evidence that we have failed to grasp the finer phases of concord. The difference is there, though we may not be aware of it. The vocabulary method is the only means of discovering what our dull senses otherwise overlook. We must find a word for each set of contexts which will fit that and no other. We must compare it with the whole vocabulary and so prove that there is not a better word for the place it fills.
    This leads us to consider the greatest and most powerful of all the laws of language.

THE LAW OF RECIPROCATION
Every thought symbol, the moment that it is placed is connection with others, both influences the meaning of its neighbors and is itself modified by them.

    Words antagonistic to each other will not associate. We never read of hot ice. If we did the word hotwould gradually become chilled and lose its present meaning. If we did not know the meaning of cold, its close company with ice would soon assure us of its signification.
    Words get their color from their contexts. Without any dictionary whatever, it is possible to determine the meaning of almost any word if it is seen in a dozen sentences. From this we may deduce the notable conclusion that the actual and understood meaning of an English word in the Bible is not necessarily its current of dictionary meaning, but that which it absorbs from the passages in which it is found. A dictionary simply records the usage of words as employed by careful writers.
    We find, then, that we have discovered a law which will practically adjust the minor differences which exist between Greek and English equivalents. An English word will expand or contract, color or blanch, become purified or tainted, to conform to the thought environments which surround it in the Scriptures. If an English word is not an exact counterpart of the Greek, the contexts in which it consistently occurs will correct its inaccuracies. It will take on a special scriptural signification. This is why the uniform renderings of the CONCORDANT VERSION are the most valuable yet simple means of transferring the truth into English.

THE PENALTY OF LAWLESSNESS

    But like all law, its benefits depend on its unvarying observance, and a penalty follows its infringement. If we inject into one English word all the virus of five false contexts, it will not only fail to furnish us with the truth, but it will reflect a false light when used in its proper place. A version which mixes its renderings subconsciously confuses its readers.
    One example will suffice. The ecclesiastical meaning of "ordinance" is a religious rite or ceremony.
    Five different Greek words are translated ordinance in the Authorized Version.
    One of them means decree (Lu.2:1 Ac.16:4;17:7 Eph. 2:15 Col.2:14). In the first three passages they so render it. Why not in the last two?
    Another is mandate (Ac.7:53 Ro.13:2). In the first they translate it disposition.
    Another is statute (Heb.9:1,10).
    Another is always translated creation or creature elsewhere (1Pt.2:13)
    Another is uniformity tradition except in 1Co.11:2.

In no case does it mean a religious rite. Yet it injects this meaning into almost every passage. If the translators had used some of their own renderings consistently, or even a synonym, we should have been saved untold confusion. It is a flagrant violation of the laws of language to render five different words by one word, and, in each case, to translate these words by other terms as well. The truth is lost in such a maze.
So valuable and vital is the law of reciprocation that we believe its observance puts the CONCORDANTVERSION in a class by itself. We urge all who are sincerely desirous of knowing God to test this matter fully. The continuous use of a version which obeys this law bridges the gulf between God's thoughts and human apprehension; the constant use of a lawless version puts an impassable chasm between us and God. One is clear concord; the other is subconscious confusion.

The Lake of Fire and The Last Enemy Gone

2011-12-27T19:27:00.001-08:00

The purpose of the Lake of Fire
The Lake of Fire is mentioned only in the book of Revelation. Ask any Christian and their imaginations will come alive with ideas about the Lake of Fire. But what exactly is this Lake of Fire or more importantly what is it's purpose? Consider:

Revelation 19:20
20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

Okay, we see here that the Beast and false prophet are cast into this lake of fire. What else do we know:

Revelation 20:10
10 and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night -- to the ages of the ages.

Here we see that the devil will be thrown into this lake of fire. What else:

Revelation 21:8
8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Revelation 20:15
15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

From these two verses we can see that ANYONE (HUMANS) not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. What else:

Revelation 20:14
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

There you have it; ALL the verses that mention the Lake of Fire. I left Revelation 20:14 until last because it gives us a link to understanding what this lake of fire is and its purpose. John saw where DEATH was cast into the lake of fire. This is important to know because another writer talks about death as well. Consider:

1 Corinthians 15:25-26
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

Paul tells us that Christ must reign until God has put ALL his enemies under his feet. Paul then goes on to say that the LAST enemy will be death. Paul makes sure to say the 'LAST' enemy because there are other enemies that will be abolished. Who are the other enemies? John lists them in Revelation 19:20, 20:10, 21:8 and 21:15 (see above). Altogether the enemies of God are those who REMAIN disobedient in this age. These enemies of God are all to be abolished as Paul says. So how does God abolish death? John tells us how; God abolishes death by casting it into the Lake of Fire. Now here is where the purpose of Lake of Fire is revealed.

John says that Death along with the enemies of God will be cast into the Lake of Fire, Paul says that death and the enemies of God will be abolished. But what does abolish mean?

1 Corinthians 15:25-27
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE has put all things in SUBJECTION under His feet.

Paul tells us that the enemies of God will be abolished BY being SUBJECTED under the feet of Christ. Okay, let's look at this:

John says ALL the enemies of God will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

Paul says ALL the enemies of God will be put in subjection under Christ's feet.

Therefore, we MUST conclude that the 'Lake of Fire' and 'Subjection under the feet of Christ' has to be the SAME thing. So how do we find out what is the purpose of the Lake of Fire? We discover its purpose when we understand the meaning of the word 'SUBJECT'. The word subject in this passage is the Greek word 'hupotasso', and this word means, 'TO BRING UNDER CONTROL AND TO MAKE OBEDIENT'. Now we can see the purpose of the lake of fire:

The Lake of Fire is a process used by God to bring ALL His enemies under control thus MAKING them obedient to Christ.

It is AT this point when ALL the enemies of God, that is, everyone not written into the book of life because of DISOBEDIENCE will be MADE OBEDIENT.

Those chosen by God are made obedient NOW, but later ALL will be made obedient. (See post 'Everyone will be salted by Fire')
Posted by Bertram Mills at 1:10 PM
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Labels: Afterlife, Death, Savior of All

"THE ONLY TRUE GOD"....SAID JESUS

2011-12-14T04:38:00.000-08:00

“the only true God”

In John 17, we read the impressive prayer which the Son prays, just before He leaves to go to the Mount of Olives to be taken prisoner (John 18:1). He begins with …

These things speaks Jesus, and lifting His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, come has the hour…
John 17:1

And continues…

Now it is eonian life that they may know Thee (= Father),THE ONLY TRUE GOD, and Him Whom Thou dost commission, Jesus Christ. John 17:3

Here it is Jesus, Himself, Who calls His Father “the only true God”. He identifies Himself as the person Who is sent by “the only true God”.

Theologians have tried to invalidated this unequivocal statement with an expressions found at the end of the first letter of John:

Yet we are aware that the Son of God is arriving, and has given us a comprehension, that we know the True One, and we are in the True One, in His Son, Jesus Christ. This One is the true God and life eonian.
1 John 5:20

They reason: the clause, “This One is the true God…”, belongs linguistically to the One just mentioned, and thus, Jesus Christ is the true God… . That would be in flagrant conflict with the previously quoted words of Jesus, Himself. Moreover, how can Jesus be “the true God”, if the preceding sentence calls Him the very Son of the True One?

But then the reasoning itself, is it valid? Let’s apply it to, two earlier passages, where we also encounter the words, “this one is…” or “this is…”.

Who is the liar, if not he who is denying, saying that “Jesus is not the Christ”? This one is the antichrist, who is disowning the Father and the Son.
1John 2:22

If the words “this one is” must refer to what immediately preceded, then Jesus Christ, Himself, would be the antichrist!

Another example:

… and every spirit which is not avowing Jesus the Lord having come in flesh is not of God. And this is that of the antichrist…
1 John 4:3

Here too, the context makes it clear that the words “this is…” do not refer to God, but to “every spirit which is not avowing Jesus.” With this in mind, let us go, once more, to 1John 5:20:

Yet we are aware that the Son of God is arriving, and has given us a comprehension, that we know the True One, and we are in the True One, in His Son, Jesus Christ. This One is the true God and life eonian.

It is absolutely clear that John, in his letters, is in perfect harmony with the words in his evangel-description (17:3). The only true God is He Whom we have gotten to know by His Son. And that also is the essence of eonian life.

———————————

translation: Peter Feddema

True Grace of God For ALL

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Emmanuel

by — Frank Neil Pohorlak (1907-1988) By the grace of God I am what I am (I Corinthians 15:10).

God is acting through His Son to bring all to Himself. Scripture tells us that there is one Mediator of God and man, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (I Timothy 2:5-6). Redemption is human, ransom is di- vine. Redemption is for believers during the eons, ransom is for all at the conclusion of the eons.

He gave a Ransom which corresponds with what had to be brought back to God, namely, all. When God gets through working through His Son, there will not be a single individual ever estranged from Him who will not have been won to Him by His love. When all are subjected to the Son, Who is the Sav- ior of the world, the Son will abdicate in favor of the Father, that God may be “All in all.” The Son Himself will be subject to Him, as will all others in His vast universe. In the beginning He was All in Himself. At the consummation He will be “All in all.” This shall be made possible through the obedience of the One Who met all of the demands that love made of Him, the Son, Emmanuel.

The one God is made visible to men in Jesus Christ. God’s secret is Christ, in Whom all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are concealed (Colossians 2:2-3). In Him dwells all the fullness of the Deity bodily (:9).

God is One, and all is out of Him, including the Son. Do not reason about it. When God says He is One, He does not mean He is also two or three. One God

means one God. To postulate more than one De- ity creates conflict. Modern Protestantism has spawned this senseless struggle. It does not believe in one God, but in a number of Gods. Away with such a travesty of the truth! May we be delivered from such God-belittling and Christ-dishonoring teaching. Its alleged facts

have no foundation in His inspired Originals.

As art is the giving of outward expression to an in- ward impression, that is, the use of things to give vis- ible form to ideas, so does the Invisible become flesh and thus make Himself visible in His secret, Christ, in Whom all is concealed. Thus God is with us – Em- manuel – Whose name is Jesus (Matthew 1:21, 23).

Soil is but the robe of the Spirit, as iron filings make visible the otherwise unseen lines of force of a mag- net. In Christ the inaudible God became the Word; in Christ the invisible God became the visible Lord, Emmanuel.

He was made a sin offering for us (II Corinthians 5:21), taking our sins to the accursed tree (I Peter 2:24). In Him God was with us. In Christ, we are with God. Thanks be to Him for His indescribable gratuity.

http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn321.pdf

NEW WORLD ORDER'S PLAN TO ENSLAVE YOU BEGAN BEFORE YOU WERE BORN

2011-12-08T13:06:00.000-08:00

Mark Phillips

What the Hell in tarnation is the New World Order....anyway.....
It's where the TARES...The ELITES ....have been leading you your whole life...."TIME TO WAKE UP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFfdOkwyuL0

NWO: Secret Societies and Biblical Prophecy Vol. 1

www.youtube.com

NOTE: Please watch the second edition of this video on the LeonardUlrich channel, and transfer links to that edition. The second edition perfects the film's ...

Faith of Jesus Christ

2011-12-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

The Faith of Jesus Christ by – Frank Neil Pohorlak (1907-1988)

http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn284.pdf

Here is a subject worthy of our careful con- sideration. It is crucial to our spiritual well-being, since it is vitally joined to our redemption and deliverance which are to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. “The faith of Jesus Christ” is being unwittingly denied by sincere and well- meaning believers. After having been well-grounded in this subject as it is revealed in His Word and re- flected in this study, may we no longer be found in that rapidly growing company of believers who are unenlightened because they are uninstructed.

Jesus Is the Author and Finisher of Faith

Looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

The world should stand in awe of this supreme Ex- ample of trust, and should be amazed at this supreme Exemplar of faith and faithfulness.

All others pale like candlelight in the presence of the unobstructed sun when compared with the One Who never faltered in His unquestioned obedience to God and His implicit confidence in God. This One could always say,

What is pleasing to Him am I doing always

(John 8:29).

Our Quotation Poses Some Problems

Jesus Christ had faith? In whom would He have it? and why? What does “Author” (archēgos) mean? To what

does “Finisher” (teleiotēn) of faith refer? Whose faith needs to be finished (perfected)? What does all this have to do with the believer, and what does it have to do with the unbeliever? How can faith be perfected? Is it quantity, or quality that needs to be perfected?

Let us see whether, for anguished hearts and per- plexed minds, we can find the answers to these ques- tions by a thorough submission to the facts as found in God’s Word. He does not propound questions and then mock our search for answers. What God pro- pounds He is able and willing to expound for those who are Berean in disposition (Acts 17:11).

The Meaning and Usage of the Word “Author”

The English word “author” is rendered from the Greek archēgos, which is made up of two elements: arch and egos, or origin-leader (Concordant Key- word Concordance, page 155, inaugurator).

As the originator is both first as to time and high- est in authority, it denotes chief as to position, and beginning or commencement as to time (page 27, be- gin). The word that best seems to combine the dual thoughts of begin and chief leader is our word Inau- gurator.

We will give the four passages where the word is found in the New Testament, and the way it is trans- lated in our venerable King James or Authorized Ver- sion.

A sovereign God is NEVER subject to anything, especially not something that He made out of the dust of the ground. – Aaron Locker

JESUS CHRIST (continued from front page) archēgos

Acts 3:15 – killed the Prince of life.

Acts 5:31 – a Prince and a Savior.

Hebrews 2:10 – the Captain of their salvation.

Hebrews 12:2 – Author and Finisher of our faith.

In the Concordant Literal New Testament (CV) He- brews 12:2 begins with the words,

Looking off to the Inaugurator and Perfecter of faith, Jesus ...

The Source of Our Faith Is from God Through His Word

Scripture teaches that every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father (James 1:17); that a man can receive nothing except it be given him out of heaven (John 3:27); that all is out of Him (Romans 11:36).

In obtaining our salvation, the faith that we exercise is made possible by hearing the good tidings – the tidings through a declaration of Christ (he de akoe dia rhematos Christou, Romans 10:17).

Not the Amount, but the Object of Faith Saves

One could have faith that the seven seas would be pressed to contain, yet it would in no wise avail for salvation if placed in anyone but Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). One could have faith no larger than a grain of mustard seed and, placing it in Christ Jesus the Lord, be instantly delivered, as Paul was, from a death of such proportions, and receive from God a salvation of such proportions (II Corinthians 1:10; Hebrews 2:3). Salvation from inception to consummation is wholly the work of God. This leaves no room for hu- man works, fleshly boasting, or anything else (c.f. I Corinthians 1:26-31).

Where Do We Find Deliverance?

The deliverance is in Christ Jesus. The righteousness of God has been manifested through Jesus Christ’s faith for all, and upon all who believe (Romans 3:21-26). This cru- cial and precious truth has been hidden from us by some translators who, apparently, did not believe that He had faith. For centuries He Who alone should have had the first place in all things has been forced to share it with those who think that God’s hands are effectually tied when it comes to salvation, unless they help Him out.

Perhaps this is why Ruskin wrote,

The reason that preaching is commonly so inef- fective is that it more often calls on men to work for God than to behold God working for men.

God Is the Justifier of the One Who Is of the Faith of Jesus

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no dif- ference (dikaiosune de theou dia pisteos Iesou Christou, Romans 3:21-22, AV).

That there was here something beyond the compre- hension of the translators, as rendered in the Autho- rized Version, is seen in the fact that they inserted “which is,” and made the preposition dia read “by” while making it read “through” in other places.

That there was here something beyond the compre- hension of the editors of the marginal notes is seen in the fact that they placed in the margin the words “through faith in,” thus altering the thought implied in the translators’ “by faith of.” Yet this does not settle the problem; it merely mixes already muddy water.

Just what did God say, and mean; and what exactly did Paul write?

Just What Did God Say?

In the original text it is plain to see that God says that He is just and the Justifier of the one who is out of ►

Issue 284 BIBLE STUDENT’S NOTEBOOKTM – PO BOX 265; WINDBER, PA 15963 2615How could we begin to try and improve on what God is doing? – Don Bast

the faith of Jesus (ek pisteos Iesou, Romans 3:26). This plainly says that God is just and will be justifying anyone who is out of the faith of Jesus. Let us look into this with a desire to accept whatever God says on the subject. The broader context will be of help.

The structure of the Roman letter shows that these verses are part of a section running from 3:21 to 4:25. This section treats of individual justification. God tells us that we are justified gratuitously in His grace (3:24). In keeping with the tenor of this section God tells us that we are justified through Jesus Christ’s faith (3:22), i.e., out of the faith of Jesus (3:26).

A translation of the text which is truer to the thought of the Original will shed light on our problem.

Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest (being attested by the law and the prophets), yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ’s faith, for all, and on all who are believing, for there is no distinction, for all sinned and are wanting [deficient, short] of the glory of God (Romans 3:21-23, CV).

Hence the source of the righteousness is God, the ground of the righteousness is blood, and the channel of the righteousness is faith – the faith of Jesus Christ.

The recipient of the righteousness is the one who be- lieves into Christ. This implies no merit on the part of the one believing, nor in the faith itself, but rather in the Object of the trust. Here again, it is a question of God’s many-splendored thing versus religion’s many-splintered thing. Paul is fearfully misunder- stood and shamefully mutilated by some scholars, and especially here. David Cox, in Jung and St. Paul, states the matter concisely and cogently.

“Justification by Faith” is, in many ways, a mis- leading name: because it begins to describe that to which it refers it can easily be supposed that it is an adequate description of it, whereas, as a de- scription, it is altogether inadequate. Every word gives rise to difficulties. It is not clear what “Justifi- cation” is, nor in what sense we are to understand “ faith,” nor what is the precise relation meant by “by.” Paul uses “through faith” and “by faith” in- differently, and the eleventh article of the Church

of England has “per” in the Latin and “by” in the English. We can begin, however, with the asser- tions that whatever it may be, Justification is not something which men achieve, and that whatever the relation between faith and Justification, faith is not the source and cause of Justification. Paul never writes that faith Justifies, and the whole drift of his argument is based on the assumption that it is God, and only God, Who Justifies men. God Justifies, and He Justifies by or through Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. However we are to understand “by faith,” all efficacy and ini- tiative must be left with God.1

Through Faith in, or Through Faith of: Which?

The righteousness that makes us acceptable before God is nothing less than His Own righteousness. It is made available through but one channel, the faith of Jesus Christ. God says that He is the Justifier of the one who is of the faith of Jesus. It is ours to search out the matter and to see how we may obtain the faith of Jesus so that God may declare us justified and thus clothe us with His Own righteousness.

That this righteousness of God’s is for our faith is plainly stated in Romans:

For in it [the evangel] God’s righteousness is be- ing revealed out of faith for faith, according as it is written: “Now the just one by faith shall be living [ho de dikaios ek pisteos zesetai]. It is out of [His] faith for [our] faith [ek pisteos eis pistin] (1:17).

Being justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Je- sus ... Where, then, is boasting? It is debarred! Through what law? Of works? No! But through faith’s law (Romans 3:24-27, CV).

Romans 3:22 and 3:26 are not the only witnesses to the fact that Jesus Christ had faith, and that it vitally affects our salvation. Though these two verses should be enough, yet there is more. Repetition on God’s

1. Jung and St. Paul, A Study of the Doctrine of Jus␣fica␣on by Faith and its Rela␣on to the Concept of Individua␣on (New York: As- socia␣on Press, 1959), page 81.

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Christ’s perfect faith procures for us a perfect salvation. – Frank Neil Pohorlak

part does not make any one thing any more certain. God repeats things because our dull faculties and unintelligent hearts are often tardy to believe all the evidence which His lavish grace dispenses to us (c.f. Luke 24:25-27, 44-46).

Galatians Joins Its Witness to that of Romans

Galatians joins its witness to this truth of the impor- tance of His faith in these words:

With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ.

Now that which I am now living in flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me [en pistei zo te tou huiou tou theou] (2:20; CV).

In the original Paul begins the first sentence with Christ and ends it with Christ, around the statement “no longer I.” Thus from center to circumference all is Christ, and Christ is all.

In this same Galatian letter we have another refer- ence to His faith in these words.

But the Scripture locks up all together under sin, that the promise out of Jesus Christ’s faith may be given to those who are believing [ek pisteos Iesou Christou] (3:22; CV)

By reading through to :26 we find where our faith enters into the transaction (c.f. 2:16 and its treatment later in this study).

Ephesians Joins Romans and Galatians

Ephesians informs us that it is Christ,

In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence, through His faith [dia tes pisteos autou] (3:12; CV).

Philippians Joins Its Witness to that of Romans, Galatians and Ephesians

Philippians joins its witness when Paul affirms that his chief aim is that he be found in Him, not having my righteousness, which is out of law,

But that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is out of God on this faith [alla ten dia pisteos Christou, ten ek theou dikaiosunen epi te pistei] (3:9; CV).

Question: How Do I Attain to the Faith of Jesus?

Perhaps the attentive reader would like to ask this question: If God’s righteousness is made available through the faith of Jesus, and I become the righ- teousness of God by accepting Christ and the work He accomplished on my behalf, why doesn’t God say so in a verse that puts together all of these: my faith, Jesus’ faith, God’s righteousness?

It should not surprise us to learn that there is such a verse. He Who is all-knowing knew that there would be those of us who would ask such a question and would be in need of just such a verse. So He placed it in the epistle of spiritual mathematics. This letter is Galatians. The spiritual mathematics may be stated like this:

Christ plus something equals Nothing.

Christ plus nothing equals Everything.

The Sum of the Whole Matter in One Verse

Galatians 2:16 will repay many careful readings. Not that there is something hidden in it, or that there is some esoteric meaning in it for which we must dili- gently search, but rather something that our veiled eyes have for so long failed to see.

Here we have a summing up of all of the things asked in our questions under “Our Quotation Poses Some Problems.” The answer given here by Paul should ►

Issue 284

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The knowledge of God’s Word is good, an acquaintance with His ways is better, but a realization of Himself is best. – A.E. Knoch

call forth from our hearts nothing but praise to Him Who alone should receive our heartfelt homage and intelligent worship.

Having perceived that a man is not being justified out of works of law, unless [justified] through the faith of Christ Jesus [dia pisteos Christou Iesou] we also believe in Christ Jesus that we may be justified out of the faith of Christ [ek pisteos Christou] and not out of works of law, seeing, that out of works of law shall no flesh at all be justified (Galatians 2:16; CV).

Read It Revel in It Rejoice in Its Truth

This verse tells us to believe into Christ Jesus that we may be justified out of the faith of Christ. This verse tells us that when we do believe into Him we are jus- tified, not by our faith, but out of His faith.

This faith that we place in Him has nothing to do with quantity; it is the quality of the faith that is im- portant, and God has taken care of that. It is perfect! It came through hearing the Word of God, and the Word is perfect. The Word is a gift from God, and every gift of God’s is perfect (James 1:17).

The faith with which we believe into Christ comes from God, Who dispenses perfect gifts. His perfect Word generates our initial faith with which we ob- tain perfect salvation from God.

Is It So Much Faith for So Much Salvation?

Let us take time to be very clear at this point about something that is very important. For example: Abraham’s faith did not call forth God’s promise. Rather, God’s promise called forth Abraham’s faith. Abraham’s faith did not create the promise he ac- cepted. Rather, God created the promise which Abraham’s faith accepted. Faith comes out of hear- ing God’s declaration. His declaration is to be found in the evangel of God. In this gospel God declares what He has done for all men collectively that He be- seeches each man individually to appropriate. What God has done for all men is the gospel; what is on

all those who believe is salvation (Romans 3:22). His good tidings do not save until they are accepted. If the good news of God’s grace is foolishness to you, if the gospel is covered, in those who are perishing is it covered. So says Paul in II Corinthians 4:3-4.

When we place our faith into Christ we place our faith in God and our Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:14). When we put our trust in Christ it is not a question of so much faith for so much salvation. If it was, we in our fear and trembling would have received but a meager salvation at the cross. No! God planned much more wisely than man thinks.

We believe into Christ with an initial faith that is sufficient, of which He is the Author, the Beginner, or Inaugurator (Hebrews 12:2). The very moment we trust Him something quite stupendous takes place. Christ then becomes the Finisher or Perfecter of the faith which He began or inaugurated. He presents our initial faith to the Father with our yearning for salvation. Christ’s perfect faith procures for us a per- fect salvation. This perfect salvation is now ours, not through our initial faith but through Christ’s perfect faith.

What does through Christ and to the Father mean? In John 3:16, do the words “in Him” refer to the Son, or to God? In I Peter 1:21 we find, “... who through Him [the Son] are believing in God ... so that your faith and expectation is to be in God.”

Luke adds to Peter’s statement by recording the fol- lowing correlative sentiments: “... bringing the evan- gel to you to turn you back from these vain things to the living God” (Acts 14:15).

Again, in the record of Paul and Silas and their ex- perience in the prison at Philippi, Luke records that they [Paul and Silas] say, “Believe on the Lord Jesus,” with the result that they “believed God” (Acts 16:31- 34).

In Paul’s commission are the words he makes known in his defense before Agrippa, Festus and Bernice in attendance: “... to open their eyes, to turn them about from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18).

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Faith accepts God’s sayings; confidence agrees in His ways; love rests in His essence.” – A.E. Knoch

So we can see that it is Jesus Christ Who leads us to the origin of all that our faith and confidence should be in God. Did He not say to Thomas, “No one is coming to the Father except through Me” (John 14:5- 7)? In this manner is Christ said to be the Origin- Leader, or Inaugurator.

What, Then, Shall We Declare to These Things?

What, then, shall we declare to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Surely, He Who spares not His Own Son, but gives Him up for us all, how shall He not, together with Him, also, be graciously granting us all?

Who will be indicting God’s chosen ones? God, the Justifier? Who is the Condemner? Christ Jesus, the One dying, yet rather being roused, Who is also at God’s right hand, Who is plead- ing also for our sakes? (Romans 8:31-34).

In all of our dealings we have to do with but One, even God, as He mediates His grace through His Mediator, a Man, Christ Jesus (Timothy 2:5). God cannot lay any charge against any one whom He has justified. Christ Jesus will not condemn, for He manifested His attitude toward us by dying, on our behalf, pleading also for our sakes. What then, shall be separating or putting a space between us and the love of God in Christ Jesus? The magnificent answer – NOTHING!

We Put Our Faith into Christ: We Are Justified by His Faith

Let us quote Galatians 2:16 again, as it is so tremen- dous.

Having perceived that a man is not being jus- tified out of works of law, unless [justified] through the faith of Christ Jesus, we also believe in Christ Jesus [eis Christon Iesoun] that we may be justified out of the faith of Christ and not out of works of law, seeing that out of works of law shall no flesh at all be justified.

We are told to believe in (literally into [eis]) Christ Jesus that we may be justified out of His faith. Thus

the Inaugurator of faith is also the Perfecter of faith.

Go back and read it again. Revel in it! Believe what it says! What a glorious provision on the part of God in anticipation of our many weaknesses! How won- derful the redemption and the deliverance which are ours in Him and through His faith!

Just think of it. Our initial faith – given to us – lays hold of Christ. His perfect faith lays hold of God on our behalf, and through His faith we obtain God’s righteousness. This makes us out to be right in God’s sight since He has made Christ to be our Righteous- ness (I Corinthians 1:30).

Everything Is unto Him

“God,” says Richard Hooker, in his Discourses on Justification, “doth justify the believing man, yet not for the worthiness of his belief but for the worthiness of Him which is believed” (Chapter 33).

Our repose rests in reliance on the One in Whom we have placed our confidence. “The virtue of Faith lies in the virtue of its Object.” We who believe rely not on our faith, but rely on His faithfulness, His grace, His merit, His saving power, His love.

We are justified in God’s grace (Romans 3:24).

We are justified through Jesus Christ’s faith (Ro- mans 3:22).

We are justified in His blood (Romans 5:9).

We are justified because of His resurrection (Ro- mans 4:25).

We are justified in His name (I Corinthians 6:11).

His faith, His blood, His death, His resurrection, His Name.

Underline God! Underline Jesus Christ! Underline His!

Faith is not our Savior, Christ is! Faith is not our Peace, He is!

►

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Do not analyze the adequacy of your initial faith, but rather rely on the adequacy of the One in Whom you have placed your faith. Do not ask, Did I rely enough? but, Is Christ Jesus enough for me on which to rely? Thus faith forgets itself as the believer is taken up with the Object of faith, our Lord and Savior, Who is surpassingly great and in Whom all can rely with utmost confidence. There is no merit in our faith; all the merit is in Christ. Faith is the means to an end, not the end itself. God, through Christ Jesus, is the end.

Let us restate this tremendous truth in yet another way. Faith does not make Christ die; faith accepts the proclamation of God that Christ died. Faith does not make Christ alive from the dead; faith accepts God’s declaration that He raised Him from the dead. Faith does not create the facts it accepts; faith accepts the facts God created for the exercise of faith.

God’s choice of us is one of the most delectable and delightful thoughts on which the mind of man can meditate (John 15:16; Ephesians 1:4). It is not our choice of Him, but His choice of us. He set the seal of His love on us before we were ever created. All of His wooings, all of His beseechings through His ambassadors, are designed to bring us to the place where we believe this of Him. God’s peace garrisons the heart and the apprehensions of all who do believe this of Him (Philippians 4:7). This is not a doctrine to prove, but a teaching to trust. The proof comes with the trust in God’s declaration that it is so, with accepting the fact that we are accepted by Him.

Grasp the Riches of These Truths

Thank God that the safeguarding of those who be- long to Him is not a problem with which they have to wrestle; for, what says His Word?

His power is now garrisoning us (I Peter 1:5). He is able to guard that which He has committed to us against that day (II Timothy 1:12). He is able to keep us and to present us flawless before His pres- ence (Jude 24). He will perform until the day of Jesus Christ that good work which He began in us when we trusted Him for salvation (Philippians 1:6). He is able to save to the uttermost those coming to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25).

In God’s sight we are now guiltless, flawless, blame- less! If you are a believer, may this simple study help you to grasp the riches that you now have in Christ Jesus. If you are not a believer, may the reading of this cause you to trust Him now and become concili- ated to God (II Corinthians 5:20).

The poet grasped these truths and expressed them thus:

Perfect Peace

A mind at perfect peace with God: Oh, what a word is this!

A sinner reconciled through blood: This, this indeed is peace.

By nature and by practice far, How very far from God!

Yet now by grace brought nigh to Him

Through faith in Jesus’ blood.

So nigh, so very nigh to God, I cannot nearer be;

For in the person of His Son, I am as near as He.

So dear, so very dear to God, More dear I cannot be;

The love wherewith He loves the Son, Such is His love to me.

Why should I ever anxious be Since such a God is mine?

He watches o’er me night and day, And tells me, “Thou art Mine.”

Catesby Paget (19th Century English Poet)

What Is The Conciliation

2011-12-04T05:55:00.000-08:00

What Does God Think About You? The Message of Conciliation

Posted on December 4, 2011 by dsheridan

What does God think about you? God is not charging men with their sins. God is bent on conciliation. The evangel is about God’s attitude for man. Believers don’t have the message of judgment.

click the blue WhatIsTheConcliation to play:

WhatIsTheConciliation

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Christ Jesus the Savior of the World

2011-12-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

The Salvation and Savior of All Mankind

Posted on December 3, 2011 by dsheridan

God CAN and WILL save all mankind.

Click the blue:SalvationOfAll to play

SalvationOfAll

This entry was posted in On Air Jock, Writings and tagged Eons, Salvation of All. Bookmark the permalink.

Believer - What Exactly It Is and Is Not

2011-11-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

What is a Believer?
Richard C Condon

A believer is "one who believes," that is, one who has faith in something or someone. Faith can be legitimate (faith in what is true), illegitimate (faith in what is not true), or feigned (pretended faith). But there is something we need to understand as a fundamental axiom. Believing is not a choice. Only feigned, or pretended, faith can be chosen. Believing is not something a person can, or does, choose to do. Faith is something a person either has or does not have. It may be received through education or experience. It may develop over time as a result of the accumulation of evidence, or be received in an epiphany as evidence congeals in the consciousness, or, as we shall see, be given by God.
We learn many things in life. We come to many beliefs. Some knowledge, some belief, is universal; some cultural; some religious. Every field has specialized knowledge. But the faith we want to discuss is faith as it relates to the Scriptures, Scriptural truths, and saving faith.
What must a person believe in order to be saved,
in order to be a believer, in the biblical sense?
Paul informs us that it is the evangel (a certain message of good news) which saves, in 1 Corinthians 15:

15:1 Now I am making known to you, brethren, the evangel which I bring to you, which also you accepted, in which also you stand, ² through which also you are saved, if you are retaining what I said in bringing the evangel to you, outside and except you believe feignedly. ³ For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, ⁴ and that He was entombed, and that He has been roused the third day according to the scriptures . . . ¹¹ . . . thus we are heralding and thus you believe.

And in Romans:

Rom 1:16 For not ashamed am I of the evangel, for it is God's power for salvation to everyone who is believing -- to the Jew first, and to the Greek as well.

This evangel, this good news, is the touchstone of saving faith. Like all faith, it is not chosen. But unlike all other species of faith, this faith, faith in the evangel, saving faith, is not arrived at by education, or instruction. It doesn't develop over time through study of the Scriptures. It isn't arrived at by induction or deduction. Saving faith is given by God, gratuitously.

Eph 2:8 For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is God's approach present, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should be boasting. ¹⁰ For His achievement are we, being created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God makes ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them.

Only those ordained to eonian life, those chosen by God, believe.

Acts 13:48 Now on hearing this, the nations rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and they believe, whoever were set for life eonian.

Saving faith, faith in the evangel, does not come apart from the operation of God. Such faith is given to those chosen by God, before the disruption of the world. Believers, by their genuine faith in the evangel, give evidence of being among the chosen. Christ has become to them, through no choice of their own, but through the operation of God, the wisdom and power of God.

1 Cor 1:23 yet we are heralding Christ crucified, to Jews, indeed, a snare, yet to the nations stupidity, ²⁴ yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God, ²⁵ for the stupidity of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Notice that this evangel is a proclamation, a declaration. It is not an offer. It is not conditional or provisional. A person may be invited to believe, commanded to believe, or even implored to believe. Indeed, such secondary means may be among the very vehicles by which faith comes, in addition to the simple proclamation, but any resulting faith is a gift of God. Further, these secondary means may also be means by which people are led to falsely claim faith. Many such means used today by typical evangelists involve emotional manipulation, peer pressure.
This evangel is the only touchstone of saving faith. It is the only rule we have by which to judge who is a believer, and who is not. Other standards have been raised, from the orthodox and his creed to the sectarian and his particular pet doctrine. But Scripture is silent about such tests, such additional standards. We are not saved by faith in this-or-that-doctrine, but by faith in the Crucified One. We are saved as we individually believe the evangel; thus we are not saved by our technical knowledge of all that Christ is or has done, but by the simple truth that "Christ died for me."

All those who are "chosen before the disruption of the world" are given, minimally, faith in the evangel. They are also given, in various measures, other scriptural truths as well.
They may indeed remain deluded about some things, as the ecclesia is described as "being tossed to and fro by every winds of doctrine."

Indeed, the Scriptures contain much truth, on many subjects, which go far beyond the scope of the evangel. The believer is encouraged to delve into its depths. In fact, there are eight different evangels, contained in the Scriptures, only one of which involves our salvation. The believer is commanded to "properly partition" ("correctly cut," CV) the Word of God and distinguish things which differ. Faith in the evangel must not be mistaken for faith in what Paul calls "his evangel," or "the faith." Some, in our day, are making their own understanding of Paul's full-orbed body of teaching, "my evangel," the message which saves. They maintain that one who doesn't yet understand Paul's teaching on the Sovereignty of God, isn't yet saved. They deny salvation to those who, in their spiritual infancy, dare to believe that it might be, as surely it seems, his or her own choice of Christ as Savior, or his or her own act of believing that was instrumental in his salvation. Free will must be denied, renounced, say these teachers, in order to be saved. And, if a person, new to the Scriptures, hasn't yet learned what death entails, and how that relates to the death of Christ, then he, too, cannot yet be saved. Finally, if one hasn't graduated from belief in Christ as his own Savior, to a belief in Christ as the Savior of all mankind, then he, also, in fact, is not yet saved. To be sure, Paul commanded that the fact that God is the Savior of all mankind is something we are to teach; but he never says that it is faith in that fact that saves.
The evangel is the power of God to save. Any teaching which makes faith in the evangel conditional is an attack on the evangel. Any teaching that makes the receiving of faith dependent upon some act or frame of mind is an attack on the evangel. Any teaching that equates some peripheral issue with the evangel, is an attack on the evangel. Any teaching that equates a particular canon of orthodoxy with the simple evangel, making the receiving of saving faith dependent on acceptance of that canon, is an attack on the evangel.
No other doctrine ought be mistaken for, or mingled with, the evangel. No other doctrine ought be made a condition for believing the evangel. And since saving faith is given gratuitously, then no sin committed, no habit formed, no error held, no misunderstanding embraced, no lifestyle lived, can disqualify a person from believing, and being saved. Salvation comes first; education, modification of lifestyle, unlearning of error, edification, follow—all subject to the will of the One Who is "operating all things after the counsel of His own will."
If we would fully know all that God has revealed to us, we must study the Scriptures. If we would have an accurate knowledge of God, His nature and His sovereignty, we must study the Scriptures. If we would know of Christ, His Nature, His Work, and all that Christ's death means—for us and the universe—we must study the Scriptures. There is much yet to learn. But saving faith, faith in the simple evangel, comes first. The saved one ought to grow, in grace and in knowledge. But first, he needs to be saved. That is, to be saved by simple faith in the simple evangel—not Paul's "my evangel," not "the mystery," not Theology 101—but belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
Should the nature of God be taught? Yes. Should the nature of man, and death, be taught? Of course. Should the fact that God is the Saviour of all mankind be taught? Absolutely (1 Tim. 4:10-11). Should error in these areas be exposed? Surely. But these glorious truths are not the evangel that imparts eonian life. Knowing accurately the nature of God, will not save a person. It will grant the saved person more peace and assurance, thus saving him from the uncertainty and vicissitudes of life. Knowing the nature of death will not save a person, but again, it will mollify our grief, and grant peace as we all face death. Knowing that all mankind will be saved does not, in itself, save a single person, but it should cause us to grow in love for God, even as for our fellowman as well.
Thus, saving faith is germinal, not full-orbed. Faith in the evangel is basic, fundamental, personal, and must be elaborated upon through instruction, in order to see all the implications, and indeed to experience all the benefits thereof (Philippians 2:12--"Be carrying your own salvation into effect," CV; "Work out your own salvation," KJV).
What else may a believer believe?
A strange question, you might think. So let's change it to "What else do believers believe in addition to the evangel?" There isn't a major doctrine of the Scriptures about which believers agree. Confusion reigns among the thousands of churches and denominations, with no agreement on doctrine, not even on the fundamentals, much less on the so-called lesser important areas. Throughout church history, some have tried to systematize the teachings of Scripture. They have tried to define what the Scriptures teach on the major doctrines, about the nature of God, His Son, and His Spirit, the nature and destiny of Man, Israel, the Church. They have tried to define what orthodoxy—correct teaching—is; and what heresy— false teaching—is.
But this doctrinal diversity is not a new situation; it already existed in the days of the apostle Paul.

Eph 4:11 And the same One gives these, indeed, as apostles, yet these as prophets, yet these as evangelists, yet these as pastors and teachers, ¹² toward the adjusting of the saints for the work of dispensing, for the upbuilding of the body of Christ, ¹³ unto the end that we should all attain to the unity of the faith and of the realization of the son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the complement of the Christ, ¹⁴ that we may by no means still be minors, surging hither and thither and being carried about by every wind of teaching, by human caprice, by craftiness with a view to the systematizing of the deception.

I wonder if we have fully grasped the full significance of this statement by Paul. There are two aspects of this declaration: the glorious goal, and the dismal present state along the way to that goal. God has provided the ecclesia with several means for growth, beginning with the apostles of Paul's day, and continuing with evangelists and teachers to spread the evangel and instruct the believers. The goal is glorious, the unity of the faith, the realization of the Son of God, full maturity as the complement of Christ.
But where does Paul tell us that this goal will be achieved in this life? The ecclesia is a dynamic, growing organism, ever changing, with new, immature members being added, and older members being put to repose. New believers come to faith from any number of backgrounds; and all require individual, specific attention, to correct their individual deficiencies.
Paul describes the present state of the ecclesia, in his day, as being in need of adjustment, being "minors, surging hither and thither, being carried about by every wind of teaching, by human caprice, by crafitness with a view to the systemizing of the deception."
Paul had already revealed that he was praying for God to give these very believers a spirit of wisdom and revelation, in preparation for their reception of this very letter.

Eph 1:15 Therefore, I also, on hearing of this faith of yours in the Lord Jesus, and that for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention in my prayers ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may be giving you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the realization of Him,

Within the providence of God there must be divisions, even among believers. Some will be corrected, some may not be, in this lifetime. But all those whom God provides for the edification of the ecclesia, are given in the interests of His ongoing work of adjusting and upbuilding not only the body as a whole, but each of the members thereof, individually, as well.

1 Cor 11:19 For it must be that there are sects (heresies-KJV) also among you, that those also who are qualified may be becoming apparent among you.

1 Cor 1:10 Now I am entreating you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all may be saying the same thing, and there may be no schisms among you, but you may be attuned to the same mind and to the same opinion. ¹¹ For it was made evident to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe, that there are strifes among you. ¹² Now I am saying this, that each of you is saying, "I, indeed, am of Paul," yet "I of Apollos," yet "I of Cephas," yet "I of Christ."

It should be evident that not all Scriptural truths are of the same degree of importance. And, some differences between believers do not involve scriptural truths at all, but may simply result from diverse customs, whether cultural, political or ethnic. (see Acts 6 regarding the dispute between the Hellenists and the Hebrews). Paul, when asked certain questions, responded by saying, "I have no injunction of the Lord. Yet an opinion am I giving" (1 Cor 7:25).
Some take the words of the Lord Jesus found in John 16, and would consequently assert that all believers will ultimately believe only the truth.

John 16:13 Yet whenever that may be coming -- the spirit of truth --it will be guiding you into all the truth, for it will not be speaking from itself, but whatsoever it should be hearing will it be speaking, and of what is coming will it be informing you. ¹⁴ That will be glorifying Me, seeing that of Mine will it be getting, and informing you. ¹⁵ All, whatever the Father has, is Mine. Therefore I said to you that of Mine is it getting, and will be informing you.

Christ, however, is not promising the continued personal instruction of the Holy Spirit, but the revelation by the Spirit to the twelve of those truths that would ultimately be written in the pages of the Scriptures. Today, the Scriptures are our source of truth; and the accuracy of our doctrine depends on our accurate understanding of the Scriptures, arrived at through the means of our natural intellectual abilities, teachers, fellow believers, accurate translations of the Scriptures, and, yes, the spirit of wisdom which Paul prayed for us to have.
A very real danger exists in making one's own understanding of the Scriptures the condition of saving faith. It simply will not do to speak of what is, in fact, our understanding of Scripture, as if it were Scripture itself. Church history is strewn with the ruins of those who have chiseled in stone their own understanding "orthodox" teaching, and made faith in that orthodoxy the touchstone of saving faith.
Some take these words, from Matthew 24, to assert that believers cannot be deceived:

Matt 24:24 For roused shall be false christs and false prophets, and they shall be giving great signs and miracles, so as to deceive, if possible, even the chosen.

Again, these words are directed to the elect among Israel, in the last generation.

Believers are not promised protection from deception, or from the wiles of the adversary. (Luke 22:3-32; Matt 16:23; Job 2:1-7; 2 Tim. 2:26).
The experience of believers—those to whom Christ has become the wisdom and power of God (1 Cor. 1:24), those before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been graphically crucified (Gal. 3:1)—is that they are found in all the churches and creeds of Christendom.
This is from the song "The Church's One Foundation." This third verse is very seldom found in hymnals. But the words were never more true, than they are today!
"Though with a scornful wonder we see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping; their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song."

What is an unbeliever?
Is it always possible to tell the difference between the believer and the unbeliever?
In the context we are considering, an unbeliever, then, is restricted to those who do not believe the evangel. Paul gives two classes of unbelievers: Jews and Gentiles. To the Jew, the evangel, the word of the cross, is a snare, a stumbling stone; it offends him. To the Gentile, the evangel, the word of the cross, is stupidity; he is insulted by it. Consequently, an unbeliever is someone who has never believed the evangel.
Unbelievers may pretend to believe; such "faith" as they evidence is only feigned faith. At some point, their true colors may become evident, but not necessarily. They may live their whole lives pretending to be believers. Peer pressure may be involved; or social standing; then again, deception or fraud may be the motive.
Clearly, not all who profess faith possess faith. In addition to feigned faith, some people, probably a great many, think they have faith, but do not. Religion is an established feature of society. People belong to churches for many reasons. Not all church members are believers. Many simply grow up in the church; they know the language, they hear the stories, and they think they are believers. Some people choose churches like they choose a country club or a bank; and for similar reasons, whether social, economic, political, or business. They may believe that they are believers. But mere familiarization with the language of faith is not faith. It has rightly been said that many church members have just enough acquaintance with Christianity to be "inoculated" against the real thing. Thousands respond to "altar calls," but may, in fact, simply be responding to intellectual or emotional manipulation, even as peer pressure. (And of course I am speaking here not only of parishioners but of preachers as well.)
But a believer with some incorrect or incomplete doctrine, is not an unbeliever. A believer who does not walk in accord with the doctrine he holds, is still a believer. Peter, when acting hypocritically (Gal. 2:11-14), was still a believer. Paul and Barnabas, when they argued violently and "recoiled" from each other (Acts 15:39), were still believers. A believer who sins, is still a believer (1 Cor. 5:5). A believer who lives according to the flesh, is still a believer (1 Cor. 3:3).
There is discipline within the ecclesia. Sinful deportment is to be dealt with severely (1 Cor. 5:5). Schism is not to be tolerated (Titus 3:10). "Tough love" had to be shown; but the recipients of such discipline were still brothers, fellow believers (2 Thes. 3:6).
Paul even dealt with believers who held to false teachings. These he tried to correct, showing the implications of their error. Paul's instructions to Timothy as to how to deal with error among the saints was to ". . . not be fighting, but be gentle to all, apt to teach, bearing with evil, with meekness training those who are antagonizing" (2 Tim 2:25). Even, in the preaching of the word, when it is necessary to "expose, rebuke, entreat," it is to be done "with all patience and teaching (i.e. instruction)" (2 Tim. 4:2). But Paul assures us that all believers, those faithful and those not faithful, those in error and those pure in their doctrine, will all be saved, and will be participants in the resurrection (1 Cor. 3:14-15; 1 Thes. 5:4-14;). They are, therefore, believers.
So it is not always possible to tell the difference. We cannot know the hearts of men.
What is the tension between
a believer and an unbeliever?
"What fellowship has light with darkness?" Surely there is antagonism between the unbeliever and the evangel. This may express itself in antagonism being shown toward one who is a believer by an unbeliever. This is self-evident.
But, the question we need to consider, however, is this: Is the simple presence of any antagonism between two people of faith necessarily evidence that one of them is an unbeliever? Is all antagonism evidence of unbelief in the evangel? The burden of proof lies with any who would assert such a proposition. For example: Is a dispensationalist who argues against amillennialism, even to the point of being rude and obnoxious in his remarks about amillennialists, thereby demonstrating that he himself is necessarily an unbeliever? Or is it instead simply that such a dispensationalist is a rude, tactless, and obnoxious person?
Is there ever any legitimate tension among believers?
Believers are only human; and humans sin. They err. Take Paul and Peter, in the incident at Antioch, which is related in the Acts even as in Galatians. Peter was acting hypocritically. Worse still, as a consequence, other believers were following him in his hypocritical conduct. Paul got upset, and called him out, publicly: "I withstood him to the face," Paul said, "because he was to be blamed."
Then again, there was the incident with Paul and Barnabas. About to start a missionary journey, they argued about whether to take along with them Mark, Barnabas' nephew. Paul said, "No." Barnabas said, "Yes." "The contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder." This contention, this severe argument, broke up the team that had been specifically selected by the Holy Spirit. ("Sever, by all means, to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them"; Acts 13:2). Yet later, Paul commends Mark for ministry; so evidently Barnabas did a good job in correcting Mark's shortcomings, since Paul reversed his earlier opinion of him. God, who prepared the beneficial sequel (1 Cor. 10:13), was responsible for the trial as well (i.e., for the original, sharp controversy between Paul and Barnabas).
As close, in time, as the original readers of Paul's letters were to the pristine, pure teachings of the apostle, there were differences in teaching. There were sects and schisms, competing preachers, excommunications. Paul warned that "there must be heresies (sects) among you." He said that teachers would arise who sought followers; that people would listen to those whose words tickled their ears, rather than teachers of sound doctrine. He characterized the believers of his own day as being in need of adjustment and edification. Extrapolate, then, the conditions of Paul's day down to our own . . . .
Calls to return to "first century Christianity," or "apostolic teaching," or "restoring the New Testament Church," or claiming a "Biblical Polity," are self-serving and vain. Claims to have done such, inevitably vary in the content of their doctrine. Twentieth-century believers and teachers, oftentimes re-learning truths long since discarded or neglected, are easily tempted to speak with the same dogmatism and authority as Paul. And, in their zeal to expose error, often they attack not only the error, but also believers who may hold to it, as well. They are apt to do so without considering that the particular situations which exist today are not necessarily the same as those which obtained when Paul first penned his words. Claiming the mantle of Paul, while separated by two thousand years and living in a different culture simply will not work. Well might those they seek to "exorcise" today respond as did the spirits in Acts, "Jesus we know, and Paul we know, but who are you?"
We have had two thousand years to hone our theological differences. Our churches and denomination differ over many things; some major things, some minor. Churches form around teachers, doctrines, social economic groups, racial groups, nations. Churches form and die out. Like Israel in Old Testament times, numbers of believers have varied at different times. There have been revivals of faith, rediscoveries of truths, and aberrations as well.
Always, there has been the evangel: belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. All who have believed the evangel have been saved. Now of course one wonders, How many professing Christians actually believed the evangel in the midst of the Dark Ages; when political upheavals reigned; when illiteracy was the rule, and the Bible was not available to the masses; when popes and priests lived scandalous lives and took bribes; who can say?
But any who did genuinely believe the evangel, probably also believed some things which were not true. They undoubtedly believed the doctrines which were current in their local situation. Attempts to trace a thread of believers in this or that doctrine, for example, the Baptists looking for people who practised "believers' baptism," or Sabbatarians, seeking out those who observed the seventh-day Sabbath, are like paleontologists looking for "the missing link." The only legitimate thread that traces through the whole history of the Christian Church—the same Scarlet thread that winds it's way through the Scriptures themselves—is the evangel: faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
When believers fight with each other, it's usually not the evangel that they fight about. It's usually some other doctrines, forms or ceremonies. If each one will acknowledge that the other is a believer, then the argument can at least be civil, and can be regarded as a situation in which each one is seeking to educate the other so as to more accurately relate the full counsel of God. The more serious problem, however, arises when, because of the differences between individuals in respect to other doctrines, ones distinct from the evangel itself, that such persons go so far as to deny that their doctrinal opponent is even a believer at all. Thus, they are making belief in their pet doctrine or test doctrine a condition of salvation. This is adding to the evangel: making salvation a matter of faith in the evangel plus something else.
What is the end of the believer?
The first thing believers will do when they are in the presence of the Lord is to stand before the dais of Christ in order to be requited for what they put into practise, whether good or bad. Will they all be perfect? Will their deportment and their doctrine be beyond reproach? Will their experiences and trials have perfected them? If such were the case what would be the need for judgment? Will they have, as yet, been perfectly conformed to the image of Christ?
The purpose of God in creation was to subect the entire creation, humanity as well as the celestial creation, to experience both good and evil, so as to prepare them for the full enjoyment of God. Christ will present to God a completely reconciled universe. God will be All in all.
While, ultimately, all will be reconciled to God, there is a plan in place for the achievement of that goal. What we see is what God is doing. We need not engage in the idle speculation about what God could have done. It is apparent that, in the outworking of the divine purpose of the eons, each individual—believer and unbeliever alike—will have a specially-tailored individual experience of both good and evil. Some individuals have been chosen by God to be the special objects of His grace. The rest have, in the nature of the case, been chosen to be objects of God's wrath. But both, believers and unbelievers alike, will experience both good and evil. This subjection of the creation to vanity is necessary, so that God may extend His riches and grace to all (Rom 8:20 11:32).
Our experiencing of good and evil includes both our individually doing good and evil, but having good and evil things done to us, whether by other humans, or due to injurious, natural forces. It includes our sinning, and being sinned against. It also includes influences from the celestial sphere, besides the many effects resulting from human relations. But even "vessels of wrath," unbelievers, are not totally bad people. They do not do only evil. They do both good and evil things. Believers, too, are not exclusively good. Believers sin; they do both good and evil.
Sin, righteous acts; good, evil; pain, joy; life, death. This is the common lot of all. The individual experiences of us all make us who we are. God, Who formed us in the womb, Who numbers the very hairs of our head, Who has numbered all of our days, Who knows the end from the beginning, Who is operating all things after the counsel of His own will, He is drawing us all to Himself, each one according as God has purposed.
An important player in humanity's experience of good and evil is the Adversary. He is "the god of this ["present wicked"] eon". His work is even evident among believers. He is our adversary; along with "the sovereignties, ... the authorities, ... the world-mights of this darkness, ... the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials." (Eph. 6:12). The Adversary is describes as a plaintiff, i.e. one who levels charges against us (1 Pet. 5:8). His work is to snare believers (1 Tim 3:7; 2 Tim. 2:26). God even permits Satan to "sift" believers, to test their faith (Lk.22:31). In Paul's life the Adversary apparently used a physical ailment to buffet him (2 Cor. 12:7). The Adversary snares some believers by false teaching (1 Tim. 2:24-26); some by the vanity attendant to having a following (1 Tim. 3:6-7); others by immorality (1 Cor. 5:5); others by this present world (2 Tim 4:10), or riches (1 Tim 6:9), or their soulish appetites (cp. Phil. 3:19; Rom 16:18).
We have the assurance from Scripture that "He who has begun a work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). Yet at the dais, some will have proven faithful in their service and deportment, described in figure as "gold, silver and precious stones" (1 Cor. 3:12). Others will have lead lives of lesser quality, described as "wood, hay, and stubble," the substance of which will be, in the figure, "burned up." Appearing before the dais is the expectation of all believers, not only those who, like Paul, have "contested the ideal contest . . . [and] kept the faith," but those who have forsaken it and "loved the current eon" (2 Tim. 4:7-10), those drowsing (1 Thes. 5:10), those turned over to Satan (1 Cor. 5:5), those who have fallen from grace (Gal. 5:4), and, yes, even the enemies of the cross (Phil. 3:18).
The Body of Christ is a display of God's grace to the celestial spheres, both now, and in the oncoming eons (Eph 2:7). We all have a different story to tell, a different testimony, but all of grace. We are in the process of being "God's achievement" (workmanship, KJV). We have nothing in ourselves wherein to boast. We glory in the Cross, and in the Crucified One.
Summary
I am entreating you, then, I, the prisoner in the Lord,
to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
with all humility and meekness,
with patience, bearing with one another in love,
endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit with the tie of peace:
one body and one spirit,
according as you were called also with one expectation of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all,
Who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1-6

Who Is In Charge Here....Anyway ?

2011-11-20T11:42:00.001-08:00

Who Is in Charge Here? by – Dan Sheridan

There is only one God. This God is the great Creator of the entire universe. The world did not evolve. The teaching of evolution is an attempt to eliminate the first cause and trace the existence of everything to nothingness, and thus, have a world of meaninglessness. If man can get rid of the idea of God, they can give their own meaning to this world, and to their own existence, and thus, become their own “saviors” – in short, their own gods.

This is where the world went wrong. The knowledge of God was well established after the world’s great flood, but that knowledge was corrupted into an image of cor- ruptible man, and, it went downhill from there. Man- kind professed that they were wise, and in doing that, they were fooled, and they changed the glory of the in- corruptible God into the likeness of an image of a cor- ruptible human being and flying creatures and quadru- peds and reptiles.

Many of the past civilizations had their versions of cre- ation and the flood. These versions mix the truth of the creation and the flood with wild myths of warring gods. This was the corruption spoken of by Paul in Romans chapter 1. The gods of these civilizations are no different than man: full of envy, murder and strife. These accounts do not, and cannot explain why the universe was created, or, why the flood came. These gods had no real purpose, and they were not in control of the universe. Everything was left to chance.

The ancient Sumerian creation epic depicted the creation of the heavens and the earth as the result of a battle be- tween the high god of the Sumerian pantheon (originally Anu, then Enlil, later Ninurta, Marduk, Asshur) and a dragon named Tiamat. This depiction appears in a later version where the god Marduk was credited as the de- feater of the dragon and creator of the heavens and Earth. Marduk, a mighty warrior god, may have been a refer-

ence to the Bible’s Nimrod (Genesis 10).

The God of History

Yet, when we come to the Bible, we have a clear concept of God and His purposes.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

Creation has its origin in God, and thus, it derives its mean- ing from God. Creation is the place where the God of the Scriptures is going to display Who He is, and His plans for His creatures. There is nothing in creation – from the first hour of its existence, down through its entire history, until its ultimate consummation in the distant future – that is unimportant. Creation has its origin in God, and it all leads back to God.

Then comes the end ... that God may be All in all (I Corinthians 15:20-28).

God said through His prophet Isaiah,

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

WHO (continued from front page) The God of the Scriptures has not left anything to chance. He is not at war with some enemy who can outsmart Him or wreck His plans. From the beginning of creation, until its consummation, God is “working all things according to the counsel of His Own will.” He is not consulting with us, nor watching the latest election polls, and neither is He on the lookout for an enemy who can wreck His plans. He is using all, the evil and the good, to bring about a wonderful conclusion at the end.

Now, this is where you come in! Yes, you, my reader. Who Am I?

It is easy to feel lost in the crowd. With the billions of people on the earth today, and with all of the people who lived and died in the past, it is very easy to feel insignifi- cant.

Yet each one of us was put here by God. He put us here and is carrying out each detail of His plan. The details of our birth, the date, time, the number of hairs on our head, where we would live, go to school, who our friends would be, what kind of job we would do, and more, were all planned by God. God did not create the universe and then leave it to run on its own. He is the Creator. He is sustaining His creation, and He will bring His creation to a successful conclusion and goal. Read that paragraph again. Seriously, read it.

Do you still feel lost in the crowd? Or, having read that last paragraph, at least twice, did you sense that God came out of some distant corner of the universe, no lon- ger as a disinterested spectator, but as One Who is very close to you? The God Who created the entire universe, Who has arranged all of the details of history since it was created, from the smallest molecule, to the largest star cluster, has you in mind. Do not feel lost in the crowd. Do not think that your life and existence are insignificant. I know it sounds cliché, but, God has a plan for you!

Let’s Back Up

Since God is the Creator, and He is arranging all of the details of His creation, did you ever wonder why things are the way they are? We look around us, and what do we see? We see a world that is mixed with life and death, joy and sorrow, corruption, and violence; and it seems that the bad stuff far exceeds the good. Why do we have to fol- low a hearse to the cemetery to bury a loved one? Why do people suffer? Why are there wars? These and a million other questions come to mind.

Is God seeing all of this? I will answer, yes, and much more. We said that God is the originator of this universe and all that is in it, and that He is not like the gods of mythology who are busy fighting enemies and trying to gain control of their universe. So then, why do we see all of these terrible things in the world? If God is in control, why is there suffering?

The answer to that question is very simple, and may not, at first, satisfy you. However, let me ask for your patience and your ability to reflect on what I am about to say be- fore you pass judgment. The reason that there is sin and death in the world is so that we can know what it is like to be without God, so that we can truly appreciate what it will be like to be with Him. Please read that last sentence again.

A reunion of a mother and daughter may prove my point. The separation produced a longing and intensified the reunion.

There are really only two options of belief. The first is to believe that there is no God, and that everything in the world is meaningless. The years of suffering and war have no meaning and all we can do is to hope for the best. That is one belief. Or, we can believe that there is a God, and that all of these horrible things have a purpose and, one day, God is going to undo all of this suffering, and we will look back and see how necessary it was.

Please pause here. Reflect on what I just said to you. Seri- ously reflect. Then come back.

A Garden

Welcome back.

When God created man, He put Him into a beautiful gar- den and provided him with everything he needed. He also provided him with a gorgeous complement, Eve. God, having put Adam in the garden, gave Him one simple command. The command consisted of not eating from one tree. If he ate from it, he would surely bring death into the world and all of the other evils that come with it – fighting, suffering, starvation, mass murders, bills, hos- pital beds and rush hour traffic. Now, I do not know about you, but I ask, why? Why do that, God? Why not just let Adam and Eve live in the garden, happy, with no disease, arguments, rush hour traffic or death? What in the world is wrong with eating from a tree? It’s just fruit!

As I think about my questions, I realize something. Adam had no history. I can easily look back at the Garden of ►

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Eden and say, “Let’s go back there. – but I can only say this because I am here, outside of the Garden, and experiencing disease, pain, funerals and rush hour traffic. I have a his- tory! I can appreciate what Adam had, but Adam couldn’t. Adam could not look back and ever recall a sense of lack. When Adam was created, God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and then Adam opened his eyes to a beautiful creation. He was born full grown and intelligent. He had such great reasoning powers that he could name every animal in creation. I can imagine the moment he be- came conscious. He opened his eyes, he heard his Creator’s voice, and was shown around the Garden by God. You and I can’t really understand that experience. We can’t under- stand what it’s like to have our first conscious thought as an adult in a perfect world; but neither could Adam know about our experience when he was in the Garden. Adam did not have a history of suffering to appreciate what he had. I have read Genesis 2-3 probably over 100 times, and I never recall Adam ever singing praises to God, thank- ing God for such a great carefree life, appreciating God, or praying to God. Why? Because Adam never knew what it was like to be without God.

Adam’s first outburst of praise was when God brought Eve to him. Adam had walked around the garden with the animals, but he had no complement. God said that it was not good for the man to be alone. Then once Adam saw that beautiful, naked woman stand before him, he knew that it was better now! His lack of a complement in the past heightened the joy of receiving a complement. God could have created the woman at the same time as the man, but He didn’t. He purposely made man in a state that was not good, so that He could provide a solution that the man would appreciate, and the end result would be praise to the Creator. Love delights in responsive love! The background of lack was needed for this mutual love. This is true of all human relationships as well. In human relationships absence makes the heart grow fonder. Our closest friends are the ones with whom we’ve had to go through some trial, with whom we have sweat, cried and shared our troubles. We love and appreciate them.

We can never know love, unless we know hatred. We can’t know peace, unless we know war. We can’t know life, unless we know death. We can’t experience recon- ciliation, unless we know alienation. Consequently, we can never know the love of God unless we, as sinners, see God sending His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to die for our sins. In other words, we can’t know God as our Savior, unless we are sinners. We have a history.

This is why Adam never uttered a word of praise or ap- preciation. He did not know anything else! This is why

we are born sinners and live in a world of corruption and violence: so that we can have evil in our history, with the purpose that, when it is all over, we can have real fellow- ship with God and with each other! History is the most important ingredient in God’s purpose.

A Family Faces Death

There is one example in the Scriptures that I want to tell you about to illustrate what we have been saying. In the gospel of John, chapter 11, there is a story about a man named Lazarus. Lazarus had two sisters, Mary and Mar- tha. One day Lazarus became very sick. His two sisters sent for the Lord Jesus to come to them. They knew that He could heal Lazarus.

Therefore his sisters sent unto Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick.”

The Lord loved Lazarus. It must have been common knowledge that Lazarus had a special place in the Lord’s heart. The sisters did not say, “Lazarus is sick,” but, “He whom Thou lovest is sick.”

When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”

Here the Lord shows the real reason for the sickness. The sickness was going to lead to God’s glory. This is true of all sickness and death. This is the needed background for God to display His glory and the glory of His Son.

We would think that since the Lord loved Lazarus so much, He was going to run to his side and take care of him – but what does He do?

When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was.

The Lord stayed away! This must have been very pain- ful for these two sisters, not to mention Lazarus who was suffering. I can see Martha looking out the window in nervous anxiety, wondering where her Lord was. “Where is He? He knows that Lazarus is sick! What is taking Him so long? We are really hurting; we need Him to help us.” Yet, He didn’t come, and Lazarus breathed his last and died.

We have all experienced this kind of pain. “Where is our Lord? We know that He loves us. So why do we have to wait so long? Is the Lord indifferent?” No, He is not. Rather, He delays because the glory of God and of His

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None need fear a “fatalism” that makes God supreme, absolute and almighty. – A.P. Adams

Son is at stake, and this is for our highest good. I know it does not feel that way when we go through it. I am sure Martha, Mary and Lazarus did not think that the delay was for their highest good while they were suffering.

The Lord Jesus finally showed up on the scene after Laza- rus had been dead for four days! Not only did the Lord not show up when Lazarus was sick, He did not even at- tend the funeral of the one He loved. Can you imagine what went through the mind of those sisters and their friends?

So, finally, here comes the friend of the family, days late, and Martha sees Him and says,

Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Do you think she was angry? Do we get angry when the Lord does not do what we ask in situations like this? What about Mary? What did she say?

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, “Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”

What about the crowd that was gathered to mourn with Martha and Mary? What did they say?

And some of them said, “Could not this Man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?”

There it is again. “Where were you? You could have pre- vented this. Lord, why, oh why?” We all have the very same questions. You, I, Mary, Martha and the crowd are all alike.

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, “Where have ye laid him?” They said unto Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, “Behold how He loved him!” And some of them said, “Could not this Man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?” Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, “Take ye away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, “Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.” Jesus saith unto her, “Said I not unto thee,

that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

If Lazarus did not die, we would have never seen the Lord weep. The shortest verse in the Bible is, “Jesus wept.” He was not indifferent. If the Lord had healed sick Lazarus, He would have demonstrated pure power; but allowing death to take its course, He demonstrated His love and sympathy. Death brought out His love even more. God hates sin, He hates death; but these are part of the neces- sary background to display His love. The Lord could have prevented all of the problems in the world, but He didn’t. He is not indifferent, but He weeps.

Imagine the emotions and joy that took place when Laza- rus got up! Imagine the hugs and kisses. This brought glory to God. This scene in John 11 will take place on a wider scale in the future, for

as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Imagine the reunion we will have one day. It will be said, “Look how much He loved us!”

In Conclusion

In conclusion, there is only one God. He is in total con- trol of every detail of His universe. Every detail, the evil and the good, have meaning and purpose. Then, in the end, when evil has served its purpose, God will eliminate it. We, His creatures, will be alive and happy, and will have a greater joy than Adam ever had. We will all one day wake up in the end. Just like Adam, when he had his first conscious moment, and was shown around the gar- den by God, even so we, we will all be made alive at the consummation, and be shown around our eternal home. Yes, we will be happier than Adam ever was. When we see our final home in the end, we will appreciate it, we will praise Him! For we had a history.



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Are We Close To The End Of This Evil Age ?

2011-11-16T18:22:00.000-08:00

Are We Close to the End?

Recently I have heard more than one person make this remark, “the next two years will tell the tale.” They, of course, were referring to the present economic and financial state of affairs, of the U.S. and the World. Many are expressing the opinion that there will be either a return to prosperity within the next year or two or a world‑wide revolution.
Most will admit that the political situation all over the world is anything but satisfactory and the immediate future does not look any too bright. Heads of State, at home, and abroad are warning the public of the present chaos and the approaching crisis, asking men and women to take an inventory of world conditions and to admit that universal, political, economical and social unrest and uncertainty prevail, and that anything more serious and disastrous is liable to happen on short notice.
Among the nations of Europe there exists not only an undercurrent of suspicion and distrust, but the acknowledgment on the part of some of them that war is inevitable, and so they are rushing on to further financial ruin in their preparation for the inevitable. No European ruler or politician is sincere if and when he declares that there are prospects for world peace.
And when we consider our own United States, there are daily reports of utter financial ruin and distressful times ahead. The world cry is for able leaders, because the current bunch can’t do the job.
In all of the discussions of depression and political unrest, and rumors of wars, comparatively few, amazingly, seem worried about the ungodliness and immorality of the present generation; and a still smaller minority are deeply concerned about what is truly the most serious sign of the times; namely, the departure on the part of thousands of so-called “Christians”, with their preachers and leaders, from the great fundamentals of the Christian faith.
This falling away from the Faith is prophesied in the Bible as one of the signs of the end time. The world‑wide political and social upheavals are very significant. So also is the present activity on the part of the Jews IN the LAND. So also is the present worldwide disregard for law. So also are the rationalism and materialism and atheism of this present time, especially propagated in the name of Christianity.
Yes all of these signs combined are indicative of the approaching end. What do we mean by the approaching end: the end of what? Now, remember, if you are thinking about the end of the world that is not what I have in mind.
There have been so many wild speculations and so many fanatical religious end‑of‑the-world movements, so many false prophets who have tried to set dates as to when the end of the world would be, that it is next to impossible to get very many people to seriously consider the more sure word of Prophecy from the Mind of the Infallible God.
Unto Him are known all His works from the beginning of the world. Surely the God who designed this universe, who governs and sustains it, the God, to whom it belongs, knows His present and future purposes for the earth and its inhabitants. This omnipotent and omniscient God knows how and when and why this present age will end, the climax of this present political and social order. If this God is sovereign and does purpose all things after the counsel of His own will, as He Himself declares, who can hinder or delay His movements when the appointed time for His action is at hand? And if He has been so considerate and gracious as to indicate unto His children, by certain signs, the nearness of the appointed time, certainly His children should, with eagerness and thanksgiving, study world conditions in the light of His inspired and inerrant Word.
In Matthew 13:39-49 , we find three times the expression, “the end of the world.” The proper translation is, “the consummation, of the age.” “So shall it be in the consummation of the age.” We find the same thought again expressed in Matthew 28:20 , wherein the Lord said to His apostles, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, or unto the consummation of the age.” He did not mean as long as they lived, but as long as the age endured. Man’s history, in God’s plans, is divided into ages. The age in which we now live is designated as “this present evil age,” Galatians 1:4 . This is the Day of Grace, the Age of the Body of Christ, the Dispensation of The Mystery. Ephesians 3:1-9 .
There have been other ages. They have come to an end. Certainly the antediluvian age came to an end with the flood. And, let’s not forget, there will be other ages after this present evil age, mentioned as “the ages to come”. Ephesians 2:7 .
This age will have a consummation. Other ages will follow. In Ephesians 3:21 we find the expression, “world without end,” properly translated, “ages of the ages.” In connection with the coming of Christ, mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:23 , we read in the very next verse: “Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God.” Certainly this language tells us that Christ is coming and the end is coming.
Suppose we do not believe that Christ is coming and the end is coming, does that affect the truth or alter the fact? NO!
This present complex civilization, with all of its unsolvable entanglements and problems, is rushing on toward the consummation of this present evil age. The end will come with the coming of the Son of God. Is not this simple language, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven?” Acts 1:11 . “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation?” Hebrews 9:28 . “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.”
Then let us carefully read the words of admonition and warning that follow in the next few verses, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-5 , “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
Do we have in these words the predictions of an ignorant or deluded religious fanatic, or do we have the more sure word of prophecy given to us through a divinely guided, Spirit filled messenger of the very Lord who is coming? The world will soon know its awful doom, which is set forth in this language:
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
“The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.”
Revelation 6:15-17
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come: and who shall be able to stand?”
Revelation 1:7
“Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.”
Jude 1:14-15
“Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints. To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed.”
Matthew 24:38-39
“For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
Matthew 24:21-30
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
Daniel 2 :44
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
We might quote from the Word of God several hundred other prophecies concerning the end time, to show that the second coming of The LORD Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is imminent; that His second advent will mean one thing for those who have been redeemed by God’s grace, those who love the Lord Jesus Christ; quite a different thing for the Nation Israel, whom we call the Jews; and still a different thing for the great mass of unsaved Gentiles.
But the verses we have quoted above will enable you to appreciate the question that the Lord Jesus asked when He had been rejected by His own nation: “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?”
Surely such a question suggests that the Son of man, who was then on earth, knew that He was someday coming back to earth, and the Greek verb used by Him in this question indicated that He would NOT find the faith on the earth when He should return as the Son of man to Israel.
If the Lord Jesus should come TODAY, He would find more than sixteen million Jews in unbelief. He would find one hundred times as many Gentiles in unbelief. He would find Christendom in the throws of the apostasy from the Faith (1 Timothy 4:1 ). He would find the teachings and practices of Catholicism so contrary to the pure Christianity He left for the apostles to give to His Church that He would never recognize that religious political organization as His Church. He would find some in that organization saved in spite of the corruption of the Word of God and departure from the Gospel of Grace in the religious program of their system. He would find some loyal, faithful consecrated saints in many different evangelical church organizations.
BUT, He would find a far larger number of unsaved people identified with some kind of a religious organization bearing the name of Christ, in the face of the plain and simple statement of the Holy Scriptures, found in Ephesians 4:3-4 , that there is ONE Church, one hope, and one faith, even as there is but ONE Christ and ONE Holy Spirit and ONE Father.
There is such a variety of different “Christs” and different “faiths” offered to humanity today that we have reached the state of religious Babylon.
Modernism has and is continuing to take over seminaries and assemblies which were once strongholds of the Faith, sweeping the deluded religious victims into the great apostasy, for Modernism in the Christian churches is nothing more than Christianized agnosticism, a complete departure from the faith once for all delivered to saints, infidelity propagated in the name of Christ. Surely a Christian infidel is a paradox, and therefore the Christian Modernist is an impossible paradox.
Then the cults most active in the propagation of their delusions and heresies are Unity, Russellism or Rutherfordism, Seventh Day Adventism, Mormonism, and Christian Science. If any one of these cults represent the true Christ and represent His Church, then the others are preaching a false Christ and misrepresenting the Church of Christ, for Russellism and Christian Science have nothing in common: neither have Adventism and Unity. Yet all of these religious movements claim to be the true custodians and dispensers of the truth of Christ for this age, each with a key to the Scriptures, teaching and inviting seekers of the truth to enter the House of God by a different door. A house divided against itself cannot stand. All of these religious movements are headed for an awful judgment in the day of God’s wrath which is not far away.
Before I continue, let me say this: Children of the Living God, members of The Body of Christ, are right where The LORD Jesus Christ, wants them to be! It is what we CALL “the Church” that is in disarray. Let’s make that distinction clear.
When here on earth the Son of God said, “Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares? An enemy hath done it. The enemy that sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age.” Matthew 13:27-28 , and Matthew 13:39 .
So we see that this unholy mixture of the work of Christ and the work of the devil is foretold in God’s Book, The Bible. And in very plain language is the great falling away from the Faith foretold. 1 Timothy 4:1
After The LORD Jesus Christ, calls His Body home to Glory, and before Christ returns to earth as King to set up His kingdom, there is to be an awful apostasy from the Faith heading up in the Antichrist, the man of sin, the son of perdition, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders.
The man in whom all these religious systems is to head up will be Satan’s man. Those who will not receive the simple and glorious truth of the Grace of Christ, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came from heaven, died on the cross of Calvary to redeem lost sinners by His shed blood, then conquered death, and went back to heaven as a man, as the Man who now sits at God’s right hand, must suffer the consequences herein stated, “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 .
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1 .
Surely the Lord knew in advance that multitudes would be swept into Spiritism and other “demon” stratagems. Surely the LORD knew in advance that the money was going to be accumulated by the very rich and the poor would have to suffer starvation in the midst of plenty, “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth . . . ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.” James 5:1-8 .
“And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath.” Zephaniah 1:17-18 .
Never before has the world, both spiritually and materially, been so restless as it is now. The whole of humanity is being crippled by a financial and economic crisis which is leaving no nation, no society, and no family unaffected, either directly or indirectly. Even those few who seem to hold in their hands with untold riches the world’s fate, and who through their own speculations were the cause of so much ill, became the first damaging victims, pulling down with them numberless fortunes. Greed is the root of every ill. From greed proceeds the unjust, unequal distribution of the wealth of nations, accumulated in a few hands with untold sufferings to the masses. Those who do not want anarchy must act energetically to prevent the enemies of religion from achieving their aims. Supplying a PRETEXT for subversive parties to launch propaganda for a drive threatening public order everywhere and increasing the danger of terrorism and anarchy. And behind it all is the unlimited greed for earthly goods which is the real cause for the present difficulties.
The prediction of God’s Word is that this accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few is to be a sign of the end time; that this universal unrest and lawlessness is to run concurrently with the great departure from the Faith. And here is God’s message to His child, “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” James 5:8 .
Look where you will today for any source of relief, and unless you look to the coming of The LORD Jesus Christ, you will look in vain. So we may know, that until He comes, evil seducers will wax worse and worse. So stop being shocked.
There IS to be a reign of peace and righteousness on this earth. When? When He comes whose right it is. He will rule this earth with a rod of iron. Those who are redeemed by His blood will rule and reign with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:2 , Revelation 5:9-10 , and Revelation 20:3-7 .
“When Christ who is our life shall appear than shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:4
The LORD Jesus Christ, is coming FIRST to call His saved ones, His Body, home to glory. THEN there will be a great time of sorrow in several years of scourging and judgment. Then the Lord will come with His saints to dethrone the great Adversary, that old dragon, Satan, the devil who has deceived the whole world. Then will come the time of earth’s blessing with the personal reign of the true King.
The hope of this world is not a great republic, or democracy, but a Great Theocracy. In the meantime whosoever will can be made a member of the Body of Christ, by the Gospel of God’s Grace through the Faith in the finished work of this wonderful Christ, who is now the living God‑man in glory.
Would you like to be in Christ, a Child of the Living God, a member of the Body of Christ? Would you like to be saved from the coming time of great sorrow and after death judgment? Salvation is available for you. It is a very simple, plain, way: Christ died for you. His judgment was for you. He was delivered for our offenses and raised for our Justification. Salvation is by God’s Grace, through the Faith in this crucified, resurrected, glorified, and coming LORD Jesus Christ. Act now. Believe and be eternally saved.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” Acts 16:31
So There You Have it!
Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide. The time is short
Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.
In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry
David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20 )

Was Jesus in Heaven Right After His last Breath On Cross?

2011-11-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

NO !

Mark Phillips Punctuation did not exist in original Greek transcripts. That is a man made placement to say something Jesus did not say or intend.....http://www.ucg.org/booklet/heaven-and-hell-what-does-bible-really-teach/heaven-gods-reward-righteous/thief-cross/

The Thief on the Cross | United Church of God

www.ucg.org

Many people think Jesus assured the thief on the cross that he would go to heaven with Him that very day. But is this really what Jesus Christ meant?

God Chose You.....No free Will

2011-11-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 28, 2011

Do you really ACCEPT Jesus as Lord?

The Christian's clarion call to the world is 'Accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior'. The word accept means: To take or receive with approval or favor, to agree or to consent to. You will come to see that the use of the word 'accept' has become the basis of misunderstanding of how salvation really works.

Most Chrisitians have the following viewpoint of God:

God sent his son, Jesus, with a message that if the world would receive it they would be saved from destruction. All day long God has his arms stretched out longing for people to respond favorably to this message of life.

The greatest problem with this line of thought is that the responsibility is placed on the unbeliever, and all he need do is ACCEPT Jesus and he will be saved. This is nonsense, because the scriptures paint a very different picture of salvation. Consider:

Acts 13:48
When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many AS HAD BEEN APPOINTED to eternal life believed.

The word 'accept' denotes a choice of the accepter. If you ask me to accept something that must mean that I have a choice in the matter. But is salvation a CHOICE?

John 1:12-13
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John tells us here that those who come to God DO NOT do so by THEIR OWN will but by THE WILL OF GOD. In order to continue on to understanding you must come to see this verse as a GOVERNING principle when dealing with salvation. We are born of God NOT BY OUR WILL but BECAUSE of God's will. We see this again in Galatians:

Galatians 1:4
...who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the WILL OF OUR GOD and Father,

Again, acceptance denotes the will of the accepter. But salvation is not based on our choice. Consider

Ephesians 1:4-5
...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

Here we see God doing the choosing AND the predestination. The problem is that when most Christians read this they assume that God does this by his foreknowledge. This is ridiculous because we just read in John where it states that salvation is based on an act of the will of God.

Ephesians 1:11
...also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

Again this act of predestination was ACCORDING to his PURPOSE. Just as a side bar let me try and explain predestination. God wants to build a fence so he FIRST makes a hammer. When the time comes when the job requires the use of a hammer he selects that hammer. The hammer DOES NOT accept him. The hammer was MADE FOR THIS PURPOSE. Consider:

2 Timothy 1:9
...who did save us, and did call with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, that was given to us in Christ Jesus, before the times of the ages,

Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

What were the tools used to BRING us to God? Grace and faith, consider:

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Acceptance? Not hardly! The grace was GOD's and the faith used was GOD's gift.

Colossians 3:12
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

Again the choice was God's.

Listen to Paul's description of his salvation:

Galatians 1:15-16
But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles...

Look at this; God set him apart, God called him through his grace, WHEN IT PLEASED GOD he revealed his son in him. Wow this is amazing. NONE of these things that established the salvation of Paul had ANYTHING to do with him but EVERYTHING to do with God.

1 Thessalonians 1:4
...knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;

God's choice and NOT your acceptance.

2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

This verse again shows that our salvation is BASED NOT ON the foreknowledge of God but the CHOICE OF GOD. So we must conclude that salvation is NOT based on our ACCEPTANCE but on GOD's choice.

What about whosoever believeth?
Let us look at the most famous verse of the entire bible:

John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Ahhhhhh you say does not this verse denote us choosing and accepting God. Nahhhhhhh it doesn't. There are several 'whosoever believeth' verses throughout the New Testament but does that tell us HOW we are saved or does it allow us to IDENTIFY who is being saved? When we see the phrase 'whoever believes' this is an identification, because we see that belief comes about by faith and we saw earlier that the FAITH THROUGH WHICH WE BELEIEVE IS OF GOD. This therefore is a way of DETERMINING who is born of God. It is like having a bunch of fruit trees in your yard and not knowing which of them is a Mango tree. So I come to you and say 'the tree that produces a mango fruit is a mango tree'. In the same way whosoever believes IS born of God

So do we ACCEPT God into our lives? No, but he CHOOSES us into his. The fallacy that we 'accept Jesus' bears exposing because Christians the world over harbor the SILLY notion that unbelievers REJECT God. We are born of God BY HIS WILL and NO ONE can resist his will.

2 comments:

Brian Weismuller said...: Bertram, thank you for this amazing post. I never looked at John 3:16 like that ever in my life. This brings it all home for me. I was always conflicted by this verse, not because I felt it opposed my belief in universal reconciliation, but that Christians always used it as 'proof' of their position. I looked at this verse as yeah "for those who believes..." but eventually we will ALL believe. And of course this is true, if not in this age but the next. But now God shows me through you, another dimension, a further truth if you will, to this verse. Yes of course "for those who believe" but He CHOSE me to believe. I would never have found Him, He found me!"You did not choose me, but I chose you..." John 15:16I will re-post, thank you.; October 29, 2011 12:19 PM
Brother Mark said...: YES SIR....IT IS GOD WHO IS IN CHARGE...AMEN; November 5, 2011 4:17 PM

Time To Blow The Dust off The Bible and BELIEVE IT and Not Traditions of Men

2011-11-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

Mark Phillips
Phil 1:29 In case they didn't tell you at church.....Scripture says God chose you...not the other way around.

Martin Zender's Crack O'Dawn Report 46 - Free Will Kills

www.martinzender.com

Martin Zender teaches about God, hell, sin, evil, sex, Revelation, quitting church, free will, salvation, religious hypocrites & Paul's gospel of grace

Rightly Dividing The Word

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Parallel, Not Identical

by – Charles F. Baker (1905-1994)

In the Bible there are two lines of truth running. God has only one line which He is running today. One of these has been interrupted for the pres- ent dispensation. Christians today often get confused, not realizing that there are in fact two different lines. There are many similarities between them, or, as we may say, places that run parallel.

One line began with Abraham, back in Genesis 12, and runs through Israel into the Messianic, Millen- nial Kingdom here upon earth. The other, and that which is God’s line of truth for today, began with the Apostle Paul, and will end in Heaven when the Church which is the Body of Christ is in glory. Our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20); that of Is- rael and of the nations will be in the renewed earth (Zechariah 14:16, etc.).

In short, we will call these two lines the Kingdom line and the Body line. Most of the confusion is due to a failure to distinguish between these two lines. The majority make the mistake of calling identical that which is only parallel.

Remember that they are both God’s lines, and that Jesus Christ is the Lord of both. It is beyond the scope of this article to point out all of the places of interest on both of these lines, but rather we shall look at just a few of the more important places to see the similari- ties and the differences.

Parallel, but Not Identical

Our purpose shall be to compare these two lines of truth in order to be convinced that they are two dis- tinct lines, and to see those places where these lines run parallel, and also where they diverge. We will see that, while two lines may run parallel in places, they do not necessarily lead to an identical destination.

Grace

Because we often refer to our message as one of grace, some have received the impression that we mean that wherever grace appears in the Bible, that is for us, and

wherever law appears, that is for Israel. However, the Kingdom line has a great deal of grace in it.

While Christ was proclaiming that Kingdom to Is- rael, the people marveled at the words of grace which fell from His mouth (Luke 4:22). Surely it was won- derful grace (Luke 7:42) where the two debtors were forgiven when they had nothing with which to pay. Likewise, what shall we say of the grace shown to Is- rael when the Lord prayed, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23: 34). Also, what of the grace poured out on Israel at Pentecost and there- after, when God sent His salvation first of all to those who had murdered His Son (Acts 3:26)?

Israel had a grace message, and so do we, but these two grace messages are not identical, but only parallel, for we shall see many distinctions between them. The two most evident differences between them are first, Israel’s message included a program of religious prac- tices which are not included in our grace message; and second, Israel’s grace was with a view to the establish- ment of its Kingdom on earth, whereas our grace is with a view to the calling out of a Heavenly Body.

On the doctrine of grace, therefore, we will find quite a long stretch where the Kingdom and Body lines are parallel. It would seem that God led John to choose especially those parallels to Paul’s Gospel in writing his own gospel. Therefore, we can use John today in a remarkable way in declaring the Gospel of the Grace of God, in spite of the fact that the things there re- corded were spoken and ministered only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.

We find wonderful examples of grace all through the Bible which are similar to the grace shown to us to- day; hence, we can use all of these cases to illustrate and illuminate the message for today. When we do this, it is as though we come to a place where the two lines run parallel, and we transfer from the Body line to the Kingdom line, just as long as the lines stick to- gether, hence, seeing more of the beautiful scenery of God’s grace. Yet as soon as the lines begin to diverge we must be sure to stay on the Body Line, or we ►

Issue 315 BiBle Student’S noteBookTM – Po Box 265; WindBer, PA 15963 2871will frustrate the grace which God has given to us. To further illustrate this point, notice what Peter says

in Acts 15:11:

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we [the Jews] shall be saved, even as they [the Gentiles].

This might appear to be absolutely identical to Paul’s message, and it is absolutely parallel at this point, but let us carefully examine the full run of the line and see whether Peter’s message began at Pentecost with this word:

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

This was a wonderful message of grace, but was it iden- tical to Paul’s message of grace at this point? Paul said:

I thank God that I baptized none of you ... For Christ sent me not to baptize (I Corinthians 1:14, 17).

The Jews had to repent and be baptized with water before receiving the Holy Spirit, but is that a part of God’s message of grace for today?

Look once again at Peter and the Jerusalem saints who had received God’s grace. As far as we have any record, these Spirit-filled apostles and believers con- tinued as loyal Jewish subjects. They did not break with Moses or the temple sacrifices and worship.

Remember, their religious and political life was bound together in an inseparable fashion. Christ Himself had taught them to be subject to those who sat in Mo- ses’ seat (Matthew. 23:2-3), and so we see even Paul carrying out this order as late as Acts 23:2-5. These Jewish believers who had been saved by grace, ac- cording to Peter in Acts 15:11, were all zealous of the law (Acts 21:20), and we have not one word of protest from God up to this point against it.

As a matter of fact, God in Acts 15:28 (cf. Acts 21:25) puts a difference between the Jewish believers under Peter, and the Gentiles under Paul, plainly instructing the Gentiles that they should observe no such things.

God strongly protested against putting Gentiles un- der the Law, and He pronounced an anathema upon Jew or Gentile who taught justification by the works of the law (cf. Galatians 2:15-16). Paul circumcised Timothy because he was a Jew (Acts 16:3), but not for a moment would he abide having Titus, a Gentile, cir- cumcised (Galatians 2:3-5).

Let us look at just one further particular to see if Peter’s grace message was identical with Paul’s. Pe- ter told Israel that if they would repent, God would send Jesus Christ back from Heaven to bring about “the restitution of all things” (Acts 3:19-21). Do we find Paul at any time making such a proposition to the Gentiles? Of course not. Paul was raised up to pro- nounce blindness on Israel because of their rejection of Peter’s offer and to send salvation to the Gentiles; not to bring Jesus back to earth, but to call out a Heav- enly Church which Jesus will bring up to Heaven with Himself there.

Gentile Salvation

This brings us to another subject in which we can see not just a parallel between Body and Kingdom lines, but also a great difference. Some people have the mis- taken idea that wherever we read of Gentile salvation in the Bible it has reference to what God is doing to- day. Instead, it is only a parallel. After the whole world had given up God, and God had given up the world (Romans 1:24, 26, 28), God called out Abraham and promised that He would make of him a great nation, and that through his seed all of the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3). The whole story of the Bible from Genesis 12 down into the book of Acts is the story of God working through one na- tion with a view to blessing all nations. The Greek woman had to learn that the children (Israel) must first be filled, before the Gentiles could be blessed in full measure (Mark 7:27).

In other words, on the Kingdom line, Gentiles were going to be saved (and therein we see the parallel to the Body line), but on the Kingdom line this Gentile salvation could come in but one way – because of and through Israel’s fullness. The Kingdom line arrives at Gentile salvation only after it has passed the place where all Israel are saved.

Now, notice the great difference between this and Gentile salvation on the Body line. Salvation is being

Only in our view of Christ can loss be gain. – Tim Finch

http://www.BibleStudentsNotebook.com/

2872 BiBle Student’S noteBookTM – Po Box 265; WindBer, PA 15963 Issue 315

MAJOR NEWS from Richard C. Hoagland - ASTEROID YU-55 TO HIT THE MOON on ...

2011-10-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

November 9th could be a very strange day......Could the asteroid actually
hit the moon ? Listen to Richard Hoagland.....

Justification - Not Forgiveness

2011-10-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Mark Phillips

Many believe that the real answer to sin is forgiveness. It is not! The ultimate answer to sin is justification!
http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn296.pdf

http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn296.pdf

www.biblestudentsnotebook.com

Was the Work of the Cross Complete or Not

2011-10-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Mark Phillips
When Christ Jesus paid the price for us on the cross with His finished work on our behalf.....was it just a potential for our salvation or was it complete?
IS OUR SAVIOR REALLY THE SAVIOR OF MANKIND OR JUST A SAVIOR OF THE VERY FEW? http://www.BibleStudentsNotebook.com/bsn314.pdf

http://www.BibleStudentsNotebook.com/bsn314.pdf

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Is the Word God?

2011-10-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Is God A Trinity?

(Updated October 15, 2009 to comply with TOA module abbreviations)

 by Mike Vinson

Questions concerning the God-head have been around within God's church since the death of the apostles, and they will no doubt continue until Christ's return.

Belief in a Trinity God-head has been declared by some to be one of the required beliefs to which one must confess to avoid the label "cult" these days, or in post-Nicean days, "heretic". Having read many essays on this subject over the years, one thing has become clear; proponents of the Trinity are forced to go outside scripture, outside the family and outside reality to explain how three equals one. So, having no illusions of settling this question once and for all, let us simply consider what scripture says on this subject.

The pivotal trinity scriptures, of course, are the last three verses of the Gospel of Matthew: “And Jesus came and spake to them, saying, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’” (Mat 28 18-20 KJV). There it is “…in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost…” Isn't that three in one? Does the use of the words "Holy Ghost" here (Strong's Concordance #40 hagios=holy, #4151 pneuma=spirit, ghost) somehow exclude the Father from being "hagios" or "pneuma?" Of course not! Christ calls His Father hagios, holy (John 17:11). Also, we are told “God is a spirit” (pneuma) (Joh 4:24).

Now we know from the scriptures that the Father is "hagios" and "pneuma" spirit. So is there any scriptural reason to believe that the "hagios pneuma" is the spirit of the Father? As a matter of fact, the scripture says exactly that!

But first, let's consider a few other scriptures on this subject. Notice Mat 1:18 - “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost (hagios pneuma).” Now look at Luk 1:35 - “…The Holy Ghost shall come upon you and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Matthew says simply “…she was found to be with child of the Holy Ghost.” But Luk 1:35 mentions "the Holy Ghost", "the Highest" and "God."

Who is the Father of Christ?

So who fathered Christ? Well, since Christ spent His whole earthly ministry talking about "your Father" (Mat 5:16), "my Father" (Mat 7:21), and "My Father and your Father" (John 20:17), it should be obvious that we are all "fathered" by the same Father.

Then in Mat 12:31, Christ says “…the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.” Why did Christ say this? Because He had just been accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons (note vs. 24). So how does Christ respond to this accusation? Notice verse 28: “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God , then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” He then goes on to warn them against blasphemies against the "hagios pneuma", Holy Spirit, translated Holy Ghost in the KJV.

Obviously Christ had cast out the demons by the Holy Ghost, or as He puts it in verse 28, "by the Spirit of God…" This same account in Luk 11:19 calls the hagios pneuma "the finger of God" again indicating the Holy Spirit is the essence through which God operates. What then is Christ's relationship to the Holy Spirit? To answer this question, as always, we must consider all sides of the question and all the scriptures on the subject. A couple of very revealing scriptures are Joh 14:28 and Luk 11:11-13.

Notice first Joh 14:28 - “…My father is greater than I.” Remember now both Matthew and Luke, as shown above, say Christ was fathered of Mary by the hagios pneuma, Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. Maybe that explains why in all His earthly ministry Christ speaks often of His relationship with His Father (Joh 14:10-11; 15:1; 11:41-42), but never once mentions His relationship with this other person supposedly equal to Himself and the Father.

What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit?

A careful reading of John chapters 14-16 makes it clear what the hagios pneuma, Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is and what function it serves.

First we will look at Luk 11:11-13 - “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?” Let's notice here Christ is telling us the Father has (owns) something He wants to give to us. Something of His that He considers will nourish and strengthen us. What is this nourishment the Father has for us? Notice verse 13: “If you then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” Notice here that even the King James translators render the Greek words "hagios pneuma" as Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit is a gift God the Father has for us if we will only ask Him.

But we still need to understand what Christ has to do with the Holy Spirit. So let's go back to John 14 where the "Comforter which is the Holy Ghost" (vs 26) is first mentioned in scripture. As a matter of fact, the only mention of the Comforter in all of the King James Bible is in the 14^th , 15^th and 16^th chapters of the gospel of John. Notice I said "in the King James Bible." I did not say "in the Bible." I'll explain the reason for this shortly.

First let's see what scriptures reveal about this "Comforter which is the Holy Ghost" (Joh 14:26). The context of this chapter is established in the previous chapter 13. In Joh 13:33, Christ says “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You shall seek me: And as I said unto the Jews, whither I go, you cannot come; so now say I to you.” Now, notice verses 4-6 of chapter 14: “And whither I go you know and the way you know. Thomas saith unto Him, Lord we know not whither you go and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes unto the Father but by Me.” Going on to verse 10: “Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwells in me, He does the works.” Where is the Holy Spirit in all this? Christ says “I am in the Father and the Father in me…”

Notice the wording of verses 16-20; the first mention in all scripture of "The Comforter." “And I will pray the Father and He will send you another Comforter (Greek - parakleetos, Strongs #3875), that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him; for He dwells WITH YOU (Christ) and SHALL be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you.” Now look at verse 20: “At that day (when the Comforter "dwells with you") you shall know that I am in my Father and you are in Me and I in you.”

As clearly as it can be stated, our Savior has here said “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.” If we can see as Christ told Phillip that“…I am in the Father and the Father in me” (vs 10), then we will understand who the Holy Ghost is and what its function is. So why then would Christ use the word "another" Comforter? Was the Christ who "dwells with you" (vs 17) somehow different from the Christ who "shall be in you"? Oh, how true this is!

The apostles knew Christ outwardly in the flesh for 3½ years without even being converted. (Luk 22:32). They had baptized more disciples than John (Joh 4:2), cast out demons (Luk 10:17) and healed the sick (Luk 10:9), yet Christ tells Peter in Luk 22:32 that he has never even been converted.

We all experience Christ in the flesh (baptism, demons cast out, healings) blessings indeed, but all experienced in the passing flesh long, long before He begins to live His life in us. So Joh 14:17, “…He dwells with you and shall be in you” is as true today as the day the apostle John wrote those words. As good as Christ of the flesh is, "another comforter" is better. The apostle Paul puts it this way: “…henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more.” Another, a better Comforter has come. He is not just WITH us. He is IN US!

Let's go back now to John 14. Christ continues to expound upon the coming of "another Comforter." (vs 23) “If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him and (the coming of the Holy Ghost) WE will come unto him and make OUR abode with him.” And now verses 25 and 26: “These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, (Remember verse 18 - ‘I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you.’) he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” These words sound very similar to the verses mentioned earlier when we posed the question "Is there any scriptural reason to believe that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Father?" The first scripture is Luk 12:11 and 12: “And when they bring you unto the synagogues and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing you shall answer, or what you shall say: for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say.” Luke here is inspired of God to say “…the Holy Ghost shall teach you…”

But notice now how Matthew is inspired to relate this same event. “But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and you shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you that speak, but the SPIRIT OF YOUR FATHER which speaketh in you.”

There it is, made plain by the scriptures. The Holy Ghost is the spirit of the Father. A gift the Father gives to those who ask Him (Luk 11:13). Christ is in the Father and we are in Christ and Christ is in us (Joh 14:20). Teaching us all things (Joh 14:26) the "comforter…even the Spirit of Truth…" (Joh 14:16 and 17). AND WHO DOES CHRIST SAY THIS "COMFORTER…EVEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH" IS??

Notice Joh 16:13-15 “Howbeit when He the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: (remember Joh 14:6 where Christ says ‘…I am the …truth…’) for He shall not speak of Himself; (sound familiar? - Joh 12:49, Joh 14:10) but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.” NOW PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO VERSE 14. “He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of MINE and shall shew it unto you. All things (including the Holy Spirit) that the Father has are MINE: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine and shew it unto you.”

The Holy Ghost, the gift God has to give to those who ask him (Luk 11:13) is also Christ's spirit so that “…Therefore said I, that He (the Father) shall take of Mine (the Holy Ghost) and shall shew it unto you. A little while and you shall not see me: (in the flesh) and again a little while and you shall see me, because I go to the Father.”

Now Joh 16:7 makes sense. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (Greek - parakleetos, Strongs #3875) will not come unto you; but if I depart (that is if Christ in the flesh departs), I will send Him unto you (remember verse 15 of this same chapter - ‘He shall take of MINE, and shall shew it unto you.’).” Ever wonder why the Holy Ghost couldn't come while Christ was here?

We can clearly understand that pivotal Trinity scripture, “All power is given unto Me (including the power to give the Spirit) in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost: (which belongs to both the Father and the Son) teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS even unto the end of the world.”

Is Christ The Comforter?

If the Holy Ghost, the hagios pneuma, which is the Comforter, the parakleetos, is really Christ in us, then there should be a scripture that calls Christ the parakleetos. It so happens that there is just such a scripture. But you would never know it by simply reading your King James Bible or for that matter, using your Strong's concordance which is keyed to our King James English. If one uses Strong's, one will see the four places where parakleetos appears in John 14, 15 and 16. These scriptures certainly reveal Christ as the parakleetos as we have shown. You would need to use an Englishman's Greek Concordance (Wigram's) or America's Online Bible to find the only other appearance of this Greek word in all of the scriptures. It's not translated Comforter there. Remember as you read this that, according to Joh 14:26, “The Comforter (parakleetos )…is the Holy Ghost…” The scripture before us is the First Epistle of John, chapter two verse one. “My little children, these things I write unto you that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (parakleetos - not even capitalized here in the KJV) with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous:” There it is once again stated straight out. Jesus Christ is the parakleetos, the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost. But in what way is He the Comforter? He is the Comforter because "all the Father has He has given to Me" and Christ now gives the Holy Spirit "to whom He will."

One God The Father

So what is the conclusion and sum of this discussion? There are several scriptures that come to mind. The first is Luk 10:22: “All things are delivered to Me of My Father: and no man knows who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.”

Another scripture along these lines is 1Co 15:27-28, “For He (the Father) has put all things under His (Christ's) feet. But when He (the Father) saith all things are put under Him (Christ) it is manifest that He (the Father) is excepted which did put all things under Him (Christ). And when all things shall be subdued unto Him (Christ) then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him (the Father) that put all things under Him (Christ) that God (the Father) may be all in all.” Eph 1:10 says this is 'all things in heaven and on earth.' The Holy Ghost, of course, is not mentioned.

The Godhead Is Understood By The Things That Are Made

1Co 11:3 says “But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ: and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God (the Father).” Paul is applying in this verse the principle he lays down in Rom 1:20 - “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and God head; so that they are without excuse:”

Paul's point in 1Co 11 is that the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man. Notice now verse 12. “For as the woman is of the man even so is the man by the woman: but ALL THINGS OF GOD.” Every man ever born excepting Adam, came through a woman. In a sense Adam came "by the woman". Applying the Rom 1:10 principle, we could say that in the beginning, God (the Father has no beginning) the Father created Christ and through Christ created the rest of creation. And how does this fit with scripture? Very well indeed. Notice Col 1:15-17 - “Who (Christ) is the image (not God, but the image) of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by Him (Christ) were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth; visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: And He is before all things and by Him all things consist.” This, of course, agrees with the gospel of Joh 1:1-3 - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.”

The Word Was God

Does it not say "the Word WAS God?" Yes, it does. And He certainly is. Notice Joh 10:32-36 - “…Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered Him saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because thou, being a man, make thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are Gods? (Psa 82:6) If He called them gods unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; say ye of Him whom the Father has sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?”

Obviously so far as Christ was concerned, being a god is quite different from being THE Father.

Who Can Be Worshipped?

Certainly Christ can be worshipped (Mat 8:2; 9:18; 14:33 and 15:25). Does being worshipped make one "Father of whom are all things?" Apparently not. Notice Rev 3:9 - “…I will make them of the synagogue of Satan…to come and worship before your feet…” Worship is apparently something reserved for gods, but only for those gods who can say with Christ “…my Father is greater than I am” (Joh 14:28).

Now let's allow the risen Christ Himself to reveal to us His relationship to His Father. After all, it is He, not John, who is the revelator. Notice Rev 3:14 - “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD:”

There it is! Christ Himself is calling Himself "the beginning of the creation of God."

Did Any Of The Apostles Teach Anything About A Trinitarian Godhead?

In conclusion, the overwhelming weight of scriptural evidence is that they did NOT teach any such doctrine. How then did they address this question? Apparently there was no question in the minds of the apostles. Here's the most succinct statement in scripture and one to which we should all be able to give a resounding AMEN! 1Co 8:6 - “But to us there is but ONE GOD (and who is that one God?) THE FATHER, OF WHOM ARE ALL THINGS and we in Him…”

Here is one of those straightforward, simple scriptural statements. It is in agreement with all scripture. We would do well to simply believe it.

But let's finish the verse. There is something else God the Father (of whom are all things) wants us to understand about the way He operates, because He is a very consistent and faithful God and Father.

Remember now the Rom 1:20 [invisible Godhead is understood by the things that are made] principle? Also, remember the 1Co 11:12 [the woman was taken out of the man but the man is by the woman but ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD] principle?

Well, here those principles are again: “And one Lord Jesus Christ, BY WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, and we by Him.”

Let us all rejoice that before God the Father ever created the first physical prototype, that the last Adam was provided to redeem all those who were in the first Adam (1Co 15:45). “According as He has chosen us in Him (Christ) BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD…Having made known to us the mystery (Greek=secret) of His will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself: [Now here's the secret!] That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things IN CHRIST, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; even in Him:” (Eph 1:4,9,10)

But How About 1Jn 5:7?

The answer to this question is certainly ancient history to any student of the scriptures who has progressed beyond the "If the King James Bible was good enough for the apostles, then it's good enough for me!" attitude.

Here is what Jameson, Fawsset and Brown Commentary has to say on this verse: “The only Greek manuscripts IN ANY FORM which supports the words, ‘in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one; and there are three that bear witness in earth’ are the Monfortianus of Dublin, copied evidently from the MODERN Latin Vulgate; the Revianue, copied from the COMLUTENSIAN POLYGLOT; a manuscript at Naples, with the words added in the margin by a recent hand; OTTOBONIANUS, 298, of the fifteenth century, the GREEK of which is a mere translation of the accompanying Latin. ALL the old versions omit the words. The oldest manuscripts of the VULGATE omit them: the earliest VULGATE manuscript which has them, WIZANBURGENSIS, 99, is of the eighth century.” (Emphasis is the author's.)

One should know that the three men who wrote the JFB commentary believe in the Trinity, and go on to attempt to justify what they admit are “words added in the margin by a recent hand.”

Let us by God's grace seek only the truth of God's word as it was given to us by “holy men of old as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2Pe 1:21) Also, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father and His son Jesus Christ. And these things we write unto you that your joy may be full.” (1Jn 1:3-4)

Christ is our parakleetos, but not of Himself. (Joh 5:30) I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

If you have any questions or comments, please direct them to Mike Vinson.

http://iswasandwillbe.com/trinity.php

God is Love

2011-10-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Mark Phillips
God is Love: http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn313.pdf

http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn313.pdf

www.biblestudentsnotebook.com

THEY DIVIDED MY LAND

2011-10-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

End Game Alert! Can't You Feel It!

2011-10-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Comet Elenin Connected To Revelation 12?

2011-10-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

NOAH'S ARK JUST LIKE TODAY

2011-09-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

IT IS FINISHED.....JUSTIFIED

2011-09-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

Mark Phillips
It is FINISHED.....JUSTIFIED.....BY FINISHED WORK OF THE CROSS....http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn296.pdf

http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn296.pdf

www.biblestudentsnotebook.com

2 ASTEROIDS MAY HIT THE EARTH?

2011-09-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

You need not fear if you have called on the name of the LORD....But I would be LOOKING UP!

I Am Who God Says I Am

2011-09-28T14:46:00.001-07:00

I Am … Who and What God Says I Am! – The Divine Reckoning of the Renewed Mind, Part 22

Posted April 10, 2010 by sandres2k8
Categories: Identification
Tags: Exchanged Life, Identification, Identity, Reckoning, Union

I Am … Predestined

For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the First-Born among many brothers. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified (Romans 8:29-30).

Having predestinated us to the adoption of children to Himself by Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will … In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinatedaccording to the purpose of Him Who works all things after the counsel of His Own will (Ephesians 1:5, 11).

I am predestined. This is who and what Father says that I am.

I am predestined “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” This is my destiny – predetermined. My destination has been pre-set, pre-fixed: I will be like Him.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him … (I John 3:2).

Just Who is the Lord Jesus Christ, into Whose image I will be made? He Himself is the “image of God.”

Christ, Who is the image of God (II Corinthians 4:4).

Who is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).

Jesus Christ – God’s Son – is “the image of God.” I – a son of God – will be conformed to His image.

… As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (I Corinthians 15:49).

Who will change our lowly body, that it may be fashioned like to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself (Philippians 3:21).

Paul Billheimer has written wonderfully about this truth.

Created originally in the image of God, redeemed humanity has been elevated by means of a divinely conceived genetic process … to the highest rank of all created beings … This union goes beyond a mere formal, functional or idealistic harmony or rapport. It is an organic unity … We become … actual generated sons of God (I John 3:2), “partakers of the divine nature” (II Peter 1:4) … generated by His Own life …

God purposed to have a family circle of His very Own, not only created but also generated by His Own life, incorporating His Own seed, “sperma,” “genes” or heredity. Long ago, even before He made the world, God chose us to be His very Own, through what Christ would do for us (Ephesians 1:4; also 5:25-27, 32). In order to obtain this personal, organic family relationship, God conceived the infinitely vast and infinitely wise plan of creation plus redemption … in order to bring “many sons into glory”(Hebrews 2:10) …

Christ is the Prototype after which all other sons are being fashioned … God’s purpose in the plan of redemption – to produce … an entirely new and unique species, exact replicas of His Son with whom He will share His glory and His dominion, and who will constitute a royal progeny and form the governing and administrative staff of His eternal kingdom.

While we recognize the infinite distinction between the “Son” and the “many sons” born into the family, yet such is their heredity … that He recognizes them as bona fide blood-brothers …

Christ is the divine Prototype after which this new species is being made. They are to be exact copies of Him, true genotypes … As sons of God, begotten by Him, incorporating into their fundamental being and nature the very genes of God, they rank above all other created beings and are elevated to the most sublime height possible. (Destined for the Throne, First Edition, 1975, pp. 33-37)

This is my predetermined destiny. I am who and what Father says I am.

I am predestined.

Snatched Away To His Throne

2011-09-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

We, the body of Christ Jesus will be snatched away to the Throne of God......

Read about it at this link:

http://goedbericht.nl/english/?p=15

Elenin & Other Things Stranger Then Fiction: BELIEVE IT OR NOT

2011-09-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

JUST A FEW DAYS AWAY FROM PROVING THIS ELE THING TO BE UTTERLY FALSE OR IN SOME WAY SIGNIFICANT TO MAJOR EARTH CHANGES.....

PLEASE DOWN LOAD THIS VERY GOOD, DOWN TO EARTH STUDY ON THIS TIMELY SUBJECT THAT IS CAUSING SO MUCH HUB BUB ON THE INTERNET.....BUT NOT IN MAINSTREAM NEWS?!

DOWNLOAD THIS LINK TO YOUR SERVER:

http://unilibrium.net/documents/Elenin_ExtinctionLevelEventNibiruIsNear_PDF_for_web_8-15-11.pdf

Where And What Will Body of Christ BE DOING SOON ?

2011-09-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

With Him appearing in glory

September 14th, 2011

In my first blog, I pointed out that the future of the ecclesia is celestial. Is her position, presently, together with that of her Head, Christ Jesus, hidden from sight for the world, on several places mention is made of the fact that she, in due time, together with Christ, will be manifested in glory. When Christ appears in glory, then automatically, also the people, who are inseparably united with Him. From the moment of the snatching away, she shall be with Him always (1Thes.4:17).

“for … your life is hid together with Christ in God. Whenever Christ, our Life, should be manifested, then you also shall be manifested together with Him in glory.” (Col. 3:3-4)

Years earlier, Paul had written about this to the Thessalonians:

“whenever He may be coming (in that day) to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at IN ALL who believe …”(2Thes.1:10)

Christ Jesus will then be seen, but not by Himself, alone. He will be seen, with amazement, “in all who believe”. People will see Christ… in the believers! Already, in his first letter to the ecclesia in Thessalonica, Paul wrote about this:

“… in the presence of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” (1Thes.3:13).

About the identity of these saints, we are not in doubt. It concerns the people who are united with their head in celestial glory. Even the prophet Zechariah already refers to them, though cryptically. When Israel shall find itself in utmost danger, shall Yahweh appear on the Mount of Olives which lies before Jerusalem …

“And Yahweh, my Elohim, shall come, and all the saints with Him.” (Zech. 14:5).

The Lord comes not alone, by Himself: all the saints with Him. Who those saints are is not explained in Zachariah. It is hidden… which by itself is a hint. For it refers to the ecclesia which was a secret in the Hebrew Bible (Eph.3:6), but has been revealed by Paul.

In due time, when the Messiah in glory will appear before the eyes of Israel and the nations, He will be seen united in heavenly glory with a set-apart people (= saints).

———————————

first published (in Dutch): 3 september 2011
translation: Peter Feddema

Posted in Colossians, ecclesia, prophecy | Comments Closed

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What the Hell in tarnation is the New World Order....anyway.....It's where the TARES...The ELITES ....have been leading you your whole life...."TIME TO WAKE UP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFfdOkwyuL0

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What is a Believer?Richard C Condon

What must a person believe in order to be saved,in order to be a believer, in the biblical sense?

What else may a believer believe?

What is an unbeliever?Is it always possible to tell the difference between the believer and the unbeliever?

What is the tension betweena believer and an unbeliever?

Is there ever any legitimate tension among believers?

What is the end of the believer?

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Are We Close To The End Of This Evil Age ?

Was Jesus in Heaven Right After His last Breath On Cross?

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Righteous Life

Friday, October 28, 2011

Do you really ACCEPT Jesus as Lord?

2 comments:

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Time To Blow The Dust off The Bible and BELIEVE IT and Not Traditions of Men

Mark PhillipsPhil 1:29 In case they didn't tell you at church.....Scripture says God chose you...not the other way around.

Rightly Dividing The Word

MAJOR NEWS from Richard C. Hoagland - ASTEROID YU-55 TO HIT THE MOON on ...

Justification - Not Forgiveness

Mark PhillipsMany believe that the real answer to sin is forgiveness. It is not! The ultimate answer to sin is justification!http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn296.pdf

Was the Work of the Cross Complete or Not

Mark PhillipsWhen Christ Jesus paid the price for us on the cross with His finished work on our behalf.....was it just a potential for our salvation or was it complete?IS OUR SAVIOR REALLY THE SAVIOR OF MANKIND OR JUST A SAVIOR OF THE VERY FEW? http://www.BibleStudentsNotebook.com/bsn314.pdf

Is the Word God?

God is Love

Mark PhillipsGod is Love: http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn313.pdf

THEY DIVIDED MY LAND

End Game Alert! Can't You Feel It!

Comet Elenin Connected To Revelation 12?

NOAH'S ARK JUST LIKE TODAY

IT IS FINISHED.....JUSTIFIED

Mark PhillipsIt is FINISHED.....JUSTIFIED.....BY FINISHED WORK OF THE CROSS....http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn296.pdf

2 ASTEROIDS MAY HIT THE EARTH?

I Am Who God Says I Am

I Am … Who and What God Says I Am! – The Divine Reckoning of the Renewed Mind, Part 22

I Am … Predestined

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Snatched Away To His Throne

Elenin & Other Things Stranger Then Fiction: BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Where And What Will Body of Christ BE DOING SOON ?

With Him appearing in glory

What the Hell in tarnation is the New World Order....anyway.....
It's where the TARES...The ELITES ....have been leading you your whole life...."TIME TO WAKE UP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFfdOkwyuL0

What is a Believer?
Richard C Condon

What must a person believe in order to be saved,
in order to be a believer, in the biblical sense?

**What else may a believer believe?**

What is an unbeliever?
Is it always possible to tell the difference between the believer and the unbeliever?

What is the tension between
a believer and an unbeliever?

Mark Phillips
Phil 1:29 In case they didn't tell you at church.....Scripture says God chose you...not the other way around.

Mark Phillips

Many believe that the real answer to sin is forgiveness. It is not! The ultimate answer to sin is justification!
http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn296.pdf

Mark Phillips
When Christ Jesus paid the price for us on the cross with His finished work on our behalf.....was it just a potential for our salvation or was it complete?
IS OUR SAVIOR REALLY THE SAVIOR OF MANKIND OR JUST A SAVIOR OF THE VERY FEW? http://www.BibleStudentsNotebook.com/bsn314.pdf

Mark Phillips
God is Love: http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn313.pdf

Mark Phillips
It is FINISHED.....JUSTIFIED.....BY FINISHED WORK OF THE CROSS....http://www.biblestudentsnotebook.com/bsn296.pdf