DAY OF THE LORD

I saw a posting by a sister which I forgot the location of. I though the sister had done a good job of what she wrote on this subject; this is what prompted me to write this article.

Most all of the writings I have seen on the return of the Lord have been, in my opinion, not well researched. Many follow today's church trends pertaining to that event. Practicing wrong understanding of the Bible scriptures is very bad indeed. Each workman will be judged by their work.
Just about everything that I have read has the idea that this is an event yet to come. Most are waiting for the Lord to appear in the sky like superman. I realize that it is very hard to throw out wrong teachings, for I myself have had to do that on many occasions. However, consider what the apostle Paul said:

2Ti_2:15 Study to shew yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth

I read a short writing on this in the site by a lady that made me stop and rethink some things. The following is the results of that. I now begin with verses from Acts

Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, You men of Judea, and all You that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to My words: For these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord comes: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

You men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, You have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should behold of it. For David speaks concerning Him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because You will not leave my soul in hell, neither will You suffer Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to Me the ways of life; You shall make Me full of joy with thy countenance.

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption.

NOTE: His soul was not left in Hell. He did then, go to hell. This statement shows the error of the preaching of what hell is. It obviously is not a place for fire and torment as is taught today. If it were, the Lord Himself would have had to endure that as a spiritually pure man. Hell is then, the grave, the place of the physically dead.

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has shed forth this, which you now see and hear.

For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he said himself, The LORD said unto My Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes Your footstool.

NOTE: From the above verses it can plainly be seen that hell is not a place of fire and torment as is commonly taught. Also, the Lord was there for three days and nights. He was preaching to the spirits in prison, death. Spirits is better rendered souls.

Something else in the verse above needs attention, that is, the LORD said unto my Lord.

Here is where the English language really makes for a bad translation. Notice the the first lord is capitalized LORD, the second Lord is in lower case. This is for a reason. The reason is the meanings of the titles are different. LORD is means the Owner. Where Lord means Christ Jesus. So it read like this: The Owner of the creation said to Christ Jesus. Also notice that it is CHRIST JESUS, not Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was His earthly form, Christ Jesus is His exalted form on the right hand of His Father. He is setting on His throne at the right hand of His Father, Elohim.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom You have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Co 1:1-9 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing you are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Divisions in the Church

1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto Me of you, My brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

NOTE: Who did Jesus Christ send and to whom did He send Him? What did Jesus tell His disciples when He sent Them out to preach?

Mat_10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter You not:

John_10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

The Conversion of Saul
Act 9:1-22 He went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And He fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecute You Me?
And He said, Who are You, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom You persecute: it is hard for You to kick against the pricks (divine urging).
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will You have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what You must do.
And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when His eyes were opened, He saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And He was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to Him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto Him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prays, And has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting His hand on Him, that he might receive His sight.
Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man,
And here He has authority from the breathern how much evil He has done to Your saints at Jerusalem: the chief priests to bind all that call on Your name.
But the Lord said unto Him, Go Your way: for He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show Him how great things He must suffer forMy name's sake.

And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on Him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto You in the way as You came, has sent me, that You might receive Your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately there fell from His eyes as it had been scales: and He received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And quickly He preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

But all that heard Him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came here for that intent, that He might bring them bound unto the chief priests?

But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.


1Co 1:18- For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yes, and things which are not, to bring to nothing that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glories let him glory in the Lord (Christ Jesus).

NOTE: Here it is seen that the Jews which came from other countries which They had been scattered to when God dispersed, were to be water baptized. It was only the Jews which were water baptized for the remission of sins. Not for receiving Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul, when He was sent by Jesus Christ to preach to the Gentiles, did not water baptize Them. We today are baptized with the Holy Spirit when God chooses to Elect a soul for Himself.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

This is how false doctrines get there start, the lack of prayerfully studying the word of truth! It is God who chooses to give unto oneself what He gives, not man's. Many souls shall have to confess their lack of study when they are called before the Judge. I pray that each one who reads this will consider what is written here closely, then pray about it for guidance and understanding; for I too am but a man.

So it is that the day of the Lord was for Israel and not for all mankind. My opinion means nothing, but my opinion is that all will face their judgment upon their physical death. What happens after that is in Christ Jesus hands. Wait for the Rapture if you wish, but beware!

Andy Centek