Can You Imagine?
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF YOU FOUND A CHURCH
WHERE EVERYONE
WAS IN DOCTRINAL AGREEMENT?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF YOU FOUND A CHURCH
WHERE EVERYONE
WAS IN DOCTRINAL AGREEMENT?
　
Some have taken the verse in Acts, on the day of Pentecost, that they were in ONE ACCORD...
　
Acts 2:1 (KJV)
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
The word for in one accord s the Greek word (G3661) homothymadon, meaning with one mind, with one purpose, with unanimous agreement in purpose. It refers to harmony of purpose, not total agreement in doctrine and perfect harmony of what all would say amen to.
This harmony of purpose was distinctive to the early church for some time.
Acts 2:46-47 (KJV)
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
There came a time when they could not even have that kind of harmony of purpose. Paul speaks to the church at Corinth.
I Corinthians 3:3
"For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"
　
The word "carnal" is from the Greek word - "sarkinos". This word is often translated with our religious connotations. We have engendered the word "carnal" with these religious connotations, and thereby have lost the real idea behind what is being said. The word "carnal" meant in that day what the word "meathead" means in our day. Paul bluntly told these "saints" in Corinth... that they were "MEATHEADS."
Paul was not always as "statesman"-ly as we like to think. He could be blunt, and to the point. The church at Corinth had become foolish and stupid, and were acting as "meatheads".
In Corinth, they were seeking various goals, seeking to glorify different preachers. They were not in one accord, not in harmony of purpose.
Even if those on the day of Pentecost were in harmony of purpose, were in one accord, they were not in total agreement in doctrines, in interpretation of how the church was to be run and what doctrines were to be taught. The Scriptures were the revelation of the Holy Spirit of what we are to believe, but some then interpret those passages incorrectly, or misconstrue what the Holy Spirit truly said.
The early church, as we observe in the book of Acts disagreed on the diet, the day of worship, the subject of circumcision, etc. They had not already in Acts 2 settled all those issues.
We have not settled many issues still not in our day. We are still differing on many doctrinal issues. If we can agree on what salvation is, we can all reach heaven, but in heaven, the Lord will have to specify which doctrinal classes we will need to attend, to straighten out the doctrinal errors we still have upon arrival there in heaven.
Harmony with the others of the body church seems to be a vital key to real revival. We need to be in one accord, in harmony of purpose, recognizing we serve the same Lord, despite doctrinal differences.
There is not much harmony in some churches. There is no need to fight on such vital issues as the color of the carpet, or the proper skirt length, etc. If we would be in one accord, and recognize our mission is to take the good news of salvation to the world, we can ignore the minor issues of what the color of the new carpet will be.
The 120 got into one accord, by ignoring issues of little import. Later, in voting on issues like the color of carpet, the vote was not likely unanimous, but in the current issue, they were unanimous on the issue at hand, the reception of the Holy Spirit and His power endowments.
Some congregations miss many revivals and blessings by such disharmony.
Arguing over minor doctrinal things, as we see in many places, only divides and distracts from the true mission of the church.
The early church had great harmony, and through the years, as the harmony lessened, the revival also lessened. As they got into issues of whether they could eat pork, or meats offered to idols, or whether a male child needed circumcised, or whether churches should have red carpet or blue... the revival lessened.
During this current revival, we have little harmony. As the harmony of the congregations grows, so will the revival. As God continues to purify the congregations, and improve the harmony between the saints, the revival will grow.
We need not be in perfect agreement on every minor doctrine. We do need to be in one accord on our purpose as a church body. Doctrinal agreement will not arrive in the near future, but harmony of purpose can occur in every service of the church.
We are all part of "one body." We are the body of Christ, and are to work in harmony as a healthy body does. The legs are to mobilize the body to walk. The arms are to move and provide balance for the moving body. The eyes are to plot the course, and the brain will make the decisions of direction.
The ears are to listen for signs of danger. The heart must pump life giving blood to the parts of the body. The stomach is to digest the nourishment for the strength the body needs for this walk. All these things happen to allow the body to reach certain destinations.
　
In the church of the last days, we have seen a "body" that is not in harmony, not working together, and having many parts that refuse to function in a harmonious way. Many Christian bodies are not in one accord, and the spiritual body stumbles around, blind, deaf, and lame spiritually.
It is no wonder that the destination of great revival has not yet been reached by this stumbling, disconcerted, paralyzed body. It is not in one accord of purpose. When we finally determine to get even our own congregation into "one accord", we will find the destination of revival easy to reach.
Even after getting a church body into one accord of purpose, there may be underlying disagreements, and differences.
Those are not to be settled before we get into harmony of purpose. The doctrinal and ministerial differences need settled in heaven, but for now, we need to be in one accord on our ministry. When the church on the day of Pentecost, got into one accord, the Holy Spirit filled them all, and three thousand souls were added to the kingdom of heaven that same day.
Ephesians 4:13
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
When we get into one agreement on all doctrines, we will be totally perfect and like Jesus. I can tell you when that will happen. It is when we will stand face to face with Him in the clouds on rapture/resurrection day.
1 John 3:2-3 (KJV)
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.
So, keep working on that purifying of faith, of doctrine, of living for Him. Keep that as your continual goal, but for now, while that is still impossible to reach in completeness, do find how to be in one accord with the body of believers. We can love one another, while disagreeing on some doctrinal issues.
We can love the mid trib believers, while being pre trib ourselves, or vice versa. We can eat pork, bacon, and shrimp, while others eat vegetables only. We can vote for blue carpet, while others vote for red carpet, and still love them, and be in one accord.
CAN YOU IMAGINE perfect harmony of doctrines?
No, I cant.
I do not think it is even possible for me to imagine all that I know to fully agree with every belief of mine. I may preach and preach, teach more and more, and still find some lovingly obstinate folks who disagree with me... and I disagree with them. I can be in one accord of purpose of winning souls to Jesus, of getting ready for heaven, and still have those doctrinal disagreements.
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF THE BULLY YOU KNEW
IN SCHOOL DAYS
SUDDENLY BECAME YOUR PASTOR TODAY?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF THE BULLY YOU KNEW
IN SCHOOL DAYS
SUDDENLY BECAME YOUR PASTOR TODAY?
　
Remember the bully from your days in public school?
That was the person who demanded your lunch money unless you wanted to get punched in the nose. The bully intimidated, threatened, gave looks that let you know you had better do as they said, or suffer consequences.
The school bullies seem to be scattered countrywide, for no school seems to be void of some of these kind. They are seemingly invincible, often seem omnipresent, and wherever you are, there they are.
Your lunch money was not safe from being confiscated.
If you packed your lunch, you might be told what to pack, and what to bring the bully in the next lunch. The desert cake or cookies disappeared first, and you were punished if the sandwich was a kind the bully did not like.
The homework you worked so hard on, could suddenly be taken, and the name changed to the bullys name.
The book the bully damaged purposely in a fit of rage, could suddenly be traded for your book which had been carefully protected from being damaged.
Your new shirt suddenly was used as a towel to wipe the bullys dirty hands.
Your hair could be ruffled, as the bully threatened to beat you to a pulp if you would not pass them the answers during the test tomorrow.
Yes, some of these, at least, probably sound familiar to you as to how a bully you once knew behaved in school.
Can you imagine if that same bully, having gone to Bible college, having gained a form of religion, now came to pastor your church?
Can you imagine?
The weekly offering collection would be a thing to notice. Threats would be made as to not having prayers answered by God if you did not give a certain amount in the offering. Instead of a physical beating, now the bully has the wrath of God to be the threat upon the parishioners.
The pastor bully would love for his congregation to prosper and be rich, as long as they remembered to each share a good portion of that wealth with the bully.
Like the sack lunch that had to be filled with treats the bully enjoyed, the offering envelope had better have enough for the pastor bully to have the cruise he/she wants, the luxury automobile they want to buy, the mansion on a hilltop they want to purchase.
The threats sound more religious than when they were only school yard bullies, but the threats are still there.
If you want your children saved, there is a way to satisfy the pastor bully, so that he/she will go to God, in their supposed privileged role, and secure a promise from God for you that they will be. The price seems high, but you do not want your children in hell, so you will have to pay it.
You may have loved helping out at the church, in cleaning, painting, and yard work, before the bullying pastor came, but now, with this new pastor, it is either do it when and how demanded, or the next sermon will be planned to beat your soul to a pulp by this bully pastor.
Many people in the church suddenly will be living and serving only in fear, fear of being identified in a sermon as the sinner, if the desires of the bullying pastor are not achieved.
Fear motivated the victims of the bully when he/she was a child, and now fear is the motivator of the congregation.
Can you imagine such a church?
Would you not rather have a pastor that was Christ-like, not bully like? Jesus said come unto Me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
The bully pastor says "Come give to me, so I can rest, or I will give you turmoil and more labor."
The Lord Jesus died on the cross, paying our price for our sins, allowing us to access forgiveness, salvation, and inspiring in us worship and honor to His name.
The bullying pastor wants us to give our lives for him/her. The bully pastor wants to measure out forgiveness and honor based on what we will do for him/her.
The Book you now carry to church is the Bible. And many a spiritual bully has damaged, attacked, mocked, and cut to shreds passages in your Book. False doctrines mar the truths in the Word of God, and the bullying pastor is not apologetic for his/her damage to the Word of God.
The friends you walk to your church door with, may be neighbors you are invited, hoping they find Jesus as Lord, and a body of loving believers that will be a spiritual family to them. Yet, the bully pastor preaches a harsh, unloving, insulting of the congregation message. The mockery, the demands, the beratings of individual members by the "pastor bully" destroy your witness of a loving Lord, and gentle Savior, and kind body of believers for them to possibly join. You are embarrassed by the bullying pastor, and know those you wanted to lead toward Jesus, are going to far, far more difficult than ever to understand that Jesus is not a bully too.
　
Can you imagine that kind of church?
I hope not.
We have been given a free gift of salvation, an offering of healing and strength from the Lord. We are to offer this same mercy and truth of the gospel message to all sinners of the world, and invite them into our churches to worship the Lord.
Our pastors should be examples of how the Lord would be, if He were here. The Lord gave and gave and gave.
The bullying pastor does not know this kind of Savior and Lord. The giving and blessing of others is a foreign concept to him/her.
If the bully you knew in school came to pastor your church, can you imagine how long it would take for you to look for a new church to attend?
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CAN YOU IMAGINE
BEING A SPIRITUAL SUPER HERO?
　
　
I remember as a boy the fascination of the super heroes of the comics. Now, they are portrayed on television and in the theaters. The super heroes fly around the world in seconds, they lift tall buildings, and bullets bounce off of them.
　
Jokingly, I called my son, my super boy, and told him how wonderful a son he always was. He took me too literally, and one day asked me how soon would he be able to jump off a roof and just fly down to the ground. I realize the error of my words, and corrected him, that this was not what I meant by superboy.
Sometimes, Christians get the idea they are a spiritual super man, or super woman. They begin to think of themselves as indestructible, incorruptible, able to speak and have miraculous signs and wonders. They think they are super saints.
　
I have met some of these through the years. They brag on being sinless, impervious to temptations and attacks of the devil, and able to be the present one who is like Jesus in every way.
　
Can you imagine being that perfect and powerful?
I know that life has taught me, and the Scriptures have confirmed this illustrated lesson, that I am most capable of stumbling, often knocked down by a right cross of the devil, and not able to stand against the storms of life without needing the real Superman, i.e. Jesus, to pick me up from my falls.
　
Can you imagine if God made us all perfect once we were saved?
Would we have compassion then on a fallen brother or sister, or would we simply scold them for stupidity in thinking they were fallible and weaker than Jesus. There would be no empathy for the fallen, there would be only anger at others failures.
Yet, the Lord has told us often, that we will be persecuted, we will be tempted, we still have a carnal person battling from inside of us. We are not supermen flying over every mountain, we have to climb them and grow weary on that long arduous task.
　
The fiery darts do not bounce off our chest, we have to remember to hold up the shield of faith, and if we let it down for a moment, the fiery dart can burn as it pierces our not so super flesh.
　
The helmet of salvation had better be in place, or the false doctrines so often show like arrows through one ear and out the other, may take hold and damage our thinking brain.
The shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace better be on, for we do not fly over the garbage of this world, we walk through it.
No, we are not supermen, nor superwomen... We are flesh... and what we wish we could do, we often find hard and laborious. No bullets bounce off our chest, but they bounce off the shield of faith. We cannot lift tall buildings, but we can watch Jesus move mountains for us.
Can you imagine if we were all super heroes?
Would we be soul winners or braggarts showing off our S on our emblem of our costume? Would pride be our kryptonite? Would bragging bring us shame and disgrace to the name of our true SuperMan, Jesus?
Can you imagine a church full of super heroes, all bragging of their mighty feats of the week?
I think I would rather imagine a church of humble and weak, at the altars confessing their failures, and praying for God to continue His super work of convicting sinners, empowering believers, carrying the frail and weak. That kind of dependence on the Lord, is not bad nor evil. It is a reality of the fact, we are still flesh.
Romans 7:14-25 (KJV)
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
　
Romans 8:22-26 (KJV)
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
My new body in heaven will be super.
It will be indestructible, it will be holy and sinless. It will have faith and hope only in the Lord. It will fly though this universe from earth to heaven in moments. It will never suffer wounds or sickness. I shall be super, but still know that only Jesus is worthy of praise. I will not wear a red cape, and a big S on my chest. I will continually praise the Lord and Savior of this frail human who needed Jesus to ever become anything of value.
Even in that perfect super body,
the only Hero... is Jesus.
Jesus deserves all the credit.
BEING A SPIRITUAL SUPER HERO?
　
　
I remember as a boy the fascination of the super heroes of the comics. Now, they are portrayed on television and in the theaters. The super heroes fly around the world in seconds, they lift tall buildings, and bullets bounce off of them.
　
Jokingly, I called my son, my super boy, and told him how wonderful a son he always was. He took me too literally, and one day asked me how soon would he be able to jump off a roof and just fly down to the ground. I realize the error of my words, and corrected him, that this was not what I meant by superboy.
Sometimes, Christians get the idea they are a spiritual super man, or super woman. They begin to think of themselves as indestructible, incorruptible, able to speak and have miraculous signs and wonders. They think they are super saints.
　
I have met some of these through the years. They brag on being sinless, impervious to temptations and attacks of the devil, and able to be the present one who is like Jesus in every way.
　
Can you imagine being that perfect and powerful?
I know that life has taught me, and the Scriptures have confirmed this illustrated lesson, that I am most capable of stumbling, often knocked down by a right cross of the devil, and not able to stand against the storms of life without needing the real Superman, i.e. Jesus, to pick me up from my falls.
　
Can you imagine if God made us all perfect once we were saved?
Would we have compassion then on a fallen brother or sister, or would we simply scold them for stupidity in thinking they were fallible and weaker than Jesus. There would be no empathy for the fallen, there would be only anger at others failures.
Yet, the Lord has told us often, that we will be persecuted, we will be tempted, we still have a carnal person battling from inside of us. We are not supermen flying over every mountain, we have to climb them and grow weary on that long arduous task.
　
The fiery darts do not bounce off our chest, we have to remember to hold up the shield of faith, and if we let it down for a moment, the fiery dart can burn as it pierces our not so super flesh.
　
The helmet of salvation had better be in place, or the false doctrines so often show like arrows through one ear and out the other, may take hold and damage our thinking brain.
The shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace better be on, for we do not fly over the garbage of this world, we walk through it.
No, we are not supermen, nor superwomen... We are flesh... and what we wish we could do, we often find hard and laborious. No bullets bounce off our chest, but they bounce off the shield of faith. We cannot lift tall buildings, but we can watch Jesus move mountains for us.
Can you imagine if we were all super heroes?
Would we be soul winners or braggarts showing off our S on our emblem of our costume? Would pride be our kryptonite? Would bragging bring us shame and disgrace to the name of our true SuperMan, Jesus?
Can you imagine a church full of super heroes, all bragging of their mighty feats of the week?
I think I would rather imagine a church of humble and weak, at the altars confessing their failures, and praying for God to continue His super work of convicting sinners, empowering believers, carrying the frail and weak. That kind of dependence on the Lord, is not bad nor evil. It is a reality of the fact, we are still flesh.
Romans 7:14-25 (KJV)
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
　
Romans 8:22-26 (KJV)
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
My new body in heaven will be super.
It will be indestructible, it will be holy and sinless. It will have faith and hope only in the Lord. It will fly though this universe from earth to heaven in moments. It will never suffer wounds or sickness. I shall be super, but still know that only Jesus is worthy of praise. I will not wear a red cape, and a big S on my chest. I will continually praise the Lord and Savior of this frail human who needed Jesus to ever become anything of value.
Can you imagine being a super hero?
No, I cant.
No, I cant.
Even in that perfect super body,
the only Hero... is Jesus.
Jesus deserves all the credit.
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF YOU SUDDENLY REALIZED
WHO THE ANTICHRIST IS?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF YOU SUDDENLY REALIZED
WHO THE ANTICHRIST IS?
　
Many have speculated down through the ages who this man who rules much of the world in the tribulation time is. In previous generations, it was thought to be Nero. Some later thought it to be Adolph Hitler. Even after his death, some thought he may still be alive, or would be resurrected to be the antichrist. John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and many others have made the list of possible contenders for the title. It has been laughable to watch the wild speculations. There are many who have a current person on the list, and I have listened to long dissertations of their proof that this person or that person is the antichrist.
Like many Christians, you have wondered who is this ANTICHRIST ? This question has been pondered for many centuries.
"Anti" means "against" or "instead of". He is the one whom the world will accept in the place of Jesus, the true Messiah.
Daniel predicted that he would come. Isaiah called him the "Assyrian". Enoch saw him as "Leviathan". John spoke of him in Revelation and in I John 2:18, 4:1-3, and II John 7. Paul also spoke of him in II Thessalonians 2:1-10. They all gave him titles and description, but none of them knew his name.
We do know that he is a man. Rev. 13:18 says of the number "666" that "it is the number of a man". Thus, the Antichrist is not the devil personified, but he is a "man" who is in league with the devil. In II Th. 2:3, it tells us that after the removal of the church from the earth, would the "man of sin be revealed".
We do know that he will be inhabited by a demon that will return from the abyss to inhabit him. Once, that same demon lived out of the abyss (Rev. 17:8). In John's day, the demon was in the abyss. This demon will drive the Antichrist to do his great conquests.
We do know that ten kingdoms will let him rule them (Rev. 17:12-17). He will perform "lying wonders" and signs to confirm a lie (II Th.2:10). He will lead the world to temporary peace and prosperity following the terrible war that occurs at the beginning of the tribulation. However, his reign will bring spiritual darkness, famine, wars, death, violence, and sin.
We do know that there are three brands of the antichrist.
A MARK
This is a literal brand put upon the right hand or forehead (Rev. 13:16-17, 14:9-11, 15:12,16:2, 20:4-6). It is different from the name or the number. It may be an emblem of his kingdom.
THE NAME OF THE BEAST (Rev.13:17, 14:11)
We are not told what that name is. Any speculation is unscriptural and valueless. Men have chosen many names for the Antichrist--(Nimrod, Judas Iscariot, Popes, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Nero, Robert Kennedy, J.F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, etc.)
666--(Rev. 13:17-18, 15:12)
This number reveals what the antichrist is, and is a reveal-able mystery.
We do know that these marks will be necessary to transact business. No one in his kingdom will be able to buy or sell without one of these marks. Yet, not all the world will have these branded on them. It is the purpose of the Antichrist to put such a brand on everyone, but it will not be fully accomplished. All who take the mark are banned by God from salvation, or from entering the millennial period. Since some do get saved after that, some must not have taken the mark. A grievous sore comes on all who take them.
So, CAN YOU IMAGINE, that some morning you wake up, and all the facts in the Bible about this man, all the sermons you have heard concerning him, all the news on the internet, and on television, suddenly falls into place, and you have revealed to you his name, who he is????
Wow! That would be awesome.
Now you can go to U-tube, and spread the word.
Now you can show the world the spiritual wisdom you have.
Now you can identify the thug, so all can be forewarned of this evil man.
BUT WAIT ! There is a problem!
The world is supposed to suffer a great delusion, and believe that this antichrist is the new or returned Christ Jesus. They are going to fall for his lies, and false miracles. It is easy for some to fall into false religions! Yet, during the tribulation, the message of the Antichrist, False prophet, and their religion, will be the greatest of the devils delusions.
We Christians are not to be deluded, we have the Holy Spirit, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, discernment of spirits, to keep us from being fooled by the antichrist, whoever he is, or by any other false scoundrel of the world.
But though we are not to be deluded, with all the deceptive, smooth talking, lying scoundrels in the world, will we know which one of the many are the one called the antichrist?
We need to guard against deception. We must not be soon shaken or thrown off balance, deceived... by the many deceivers of the day. There are many trials, many false teachings... each designed by the devil, to try to shake our faith. There are many down through the ages that exhibited some of the features of the antichrist... but none of those turned out to be the one to come. We can discern evil, but will we ever know his name?
We are the church, we are to be a restraining, hindering force, that keeps the antichrist from being able to come and deceive the world with this deception.
If the antichrist announced the 7 year peace treaty, took over the ten nations of his kingdom, we would know from those facts who he is. Yet, if he has not yet done those identifying things, can we know now, who he is?
If you awoke with his name on your lips, the revelation of what soon would occur, and have no delusion of him being an answer to the worlds problems, but the big problem it would now experience, would you be ready to announce to all of the rest of us, who he is?
We are to speak the Truth, reveal the One Who is the Truth. We are to point the world to Jesus, the Answer. We are not here to identify the antichrist. We have the Spirit of Truth working through us, but though he keeps us from delusion (if we allow Him to), the Holy Spirit does not tell us this antichrists name.
If the Holy Spirit allowed us to know that, we would fill our message with sermons on that evil one, instead of sermons on the One Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Someday, then, when the church is gone, the Antichrist will come and have free reign. He will not be hindered anymore by the church. He will even defile the newly finished Temple in Jerusalem, and claim to be god. Many, many, even most in that time, will fall for that delusion.
The church, who now hinders, will have to be gone, for we could set the world straight, and tell them who this evil one truly is. We would not let the delusion of others, the deception of the antichrist on the world continue without strong opposition of the church.
2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 (KJV)
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
　
The he who letteth is the church. (The church is referred to as a man in Ephesians 2:15, and 4:13, "...for to make in Himself of twain, one new man...", "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man...") The church is also called the body of Christ, which would also require the masculine he. (I Cor. 12:12-13, 27, Ephesians 1:22-23, Colossians 1:18, 24). The church is never referred to in the Bible with feminine pronouns, it is never called the bride of Christ, and Israel is called a woman, not the church.
Thus, it is the church, who is the hindering force, the one who letteth i.e. hinders this great delusion. When the church is removed, the delusion will be spread around this world, in greater measure than it ever could today. It is after the rapture, that the devil finally reveals this antichrist to the world, and in the final end of him, he is destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, in the middle, he deceives, lies, and brings delusion to this world.
The antichrist is the embodiment of deceit and delusion.
He will come, when he is able to delude the world.
If we are doing our job, that cannot be quite yet, for we would reveal to all we could, who he truly was, and his source of power.
We could rebuke the demons and evil spirits working with him, we could make them flee in fear from us.
So, CAN YOU IMAGINE, waking from sleep, suddenly realizing the name of this antichrist?
WELL, IF YOU CAN, then you missed the rapture.
You are left behind, for the revelation will not come till we, the church, are gone. Then the antichrist will come, unhindered by we pointing out who he is, what he will do.
We would spoil the delusion.
We would rebuke and hinder the demons and their work of delusion.
We would preach the true Jesus, and demonstrate the miraculous power of the true Savior.
\We would spoil what the Lord wants to allow in delusion upon this sinful, about to be judged world.
I have seen some ministries currently preparing Christians with seven years of food so they can survive the tribulation. This is comical in a very sad way, for we are not appointed to wrath of the tribulation, for it is Gods wrath. We are harpadzo-ed out of here, caught out of harms way. We are studied enough, I pray, to not be in the delusion of the antichrist, therefore we would be in the un-deluding business. God does not want that. He wants to allow those who rejected Jesus, to be deluded, and find the troubles that the one they do accept will bring them.
John 14:6
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father, but by Me."
So, since we have accepted Jesus, we are going to go to the Father and to Jesus, in heaven, very soon.
John 5:43
"I AM COME IN MY FATHER'S NAME, AND YE RECEIVE ME NOT; IF ANOTHER SHALL COME IN HIS OWN NAME, HIM YE WILL RECEIVE."
We depart, and the delusion of the antichrist is unhindered, so the reaping of sins wages will occur.
The hindering church, will have hindered his coming as long as God has wanted us to do.
We have forewarned, spoke the truth, to reveal the lying devilish plan to come, and we will have kept doing that job, till we are taken out of the way!!!
So, if you imagining of suddenly knowing the name of the antichrist, does occur, and you call or send me an email telling me who it is, I am going to be quite upset. You, and I, will have missed the rapture.
So, if you imagine that sudden revelation, please let it only be imagination, for I dont want you to miss the rapture, and I definitely am going to be upset at that phone call from you when you alert me to the fact I missed the rapture too.... !
I dont want that to happen.
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF THE LORD CAME EARLY
AND
MOVED THE WELCOME MAT
INSIDE THE CHURCH,
FACING OUT?
IF THE LORD CAME EARLY
AND
MOVED THE WELCOME MAT
INSIDE THE CHURCH,
FACING OUT?
　
We build beautiful structures, we pad the pews, we put in fellowship areas with beautiful kitchens. We call them churches, but they are not. The true church are the body of believers. We have buildings now, to meet occasionally, to bind up the broken, to salve the wounds of the injured, to anoint the Lords workers. These buildings we call churches are only to be occasional meeting and training places for the true church.
The welcome mat is often used to invite others to join the church, and too often it is thought that those who attend, join, and serve within this building are the growth and ministry of the church.
Paul called the church a "mystery." This mystery was revealed to him. It is too bad many have not had the mystery of the church revealed to them. For the welcome mat is almost always put outside the front door of a building, and facing in, an invitation to enter.
Paul was taught, by the Spirit, that the people of God did not understand what God was doing with the "called out ones."
Yes, the word for church in the New Testament is ecclesia, the called out ones. The word does not mean the called in ones.
There were not any church buildings in the early church of Bible days. They met on hillsides, at the entrance to the synagogue or Temple, in homes. They had no buildings, for they were called out, not called in.
There is a wide variety of concepts of the "church" of today.
To some it is a snooty country club, and to others it has become a political action group. To some it is a meeting place of a bunch of do-gooders, and a good number of better than thous. Some have seen the church to be a religious bunch on a joy-weekend, jumping, shouting, but no real change in them once they left the building they call a church.
For many it becomes a court room, with judges trying to legislate morals for the rest of the world. Many have found it to have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde reputation, containing some good and some hypocritical people.
Since the church buildings have such a confusing, contradictory, and startling reputation - the reactions to it vary greatly. Some will occasionally attend and step on the welcome mat on the way in, but often will consider alternatives to be better places to go on Sunday than the church building.
Many will use church building as a quiet place to go and relax on Sundays. Others use church building attendance as a place to go in order to feel better. Some have used church buildings to be a place to achieve better social position. A few will attend the church building during hard times, as a crutch is used in times of ailment.
Many such buildings, with welcome mats on the outside of the doors, are places of meaningless noise, and not a "House of Prayer." The noise itself is not bad, but noise alone is not enough. Mary (sister of Lazarus and Martha) chose the "better" part and sat at Jesus' feet. She came to Jesus to sit in His presence, learn, and worship. Others are like Martha, and come only to serve, and think that inside that welcome mat is the only place one can serve God. Many, step on the welcome mat at the door, enter, and go through the motions of religion.
We were called out, not called in. The church building can serve a purpose, a purpose to enter and be refreshed, be fed the Word, pray for one another, bind up any of the flock of the Lord that are wounded in the battle against the devil. But Jesus put the welcome mat inside, to face out, to invite us to be called out ones, and go minister to the world outside those four walls we call the church.
Jesus is seen in Revelation 3, standing outside the door of the church at Laodicea. That church was alone, without Jesus, inside their walls. They thought they had need of nothing, and were completely unaware of what and Who was outside that door. Jesus said if any would hear His call, He would come in and sup with them. That means, He would share with them spiritual food, eye salve for their eyes. Jesus will come to the building to hear the congregation worship His name, but then He leaves, and puts the welcome mat facing outward, for He wants us out serving and witnessing. Jesus did not intend to stay there, or in any four walls. He is outside the church, only entering occasionally to feed His flock, but then wanting to go back to the highways, and byways with us to win and serve Him amidst the world.
The secret of being a church body is having the presence of the Lord Jesus. He dwells within the true church body, but His home is not the building we occasionally meet within.
The Lord Jesus lives within His people, He is in us, His church. The true church is the "body of Christ." Membership within this true church is different from membership within the false church idea that it is a denomination, or a building.
Membership in the true church is found in discipleship. Membership in a denomination or in a building, alone, nails you down, discipleship sends you out. Jesus puts the welcome mat facing outward, He calls us the called OUT ones. We are to be outside those walls of a building called the church, serving Him there... outside.
Remember how often Jesus told His disciples to "go." He told them to "Go preach, go sell, go work, go into the highways... go to the lost sheep, go and see, go and learn, and go in peace..." etc.
Some church buildings are weighted down with members, but scarcely have any that go out to do ministry. Most denominations emphasize the "come" rather than the "go".
They may emphasize the -
"Come to prayer meeting!"
"Come to Sunday School!"
"Come to women's meetings!"
"Come to...etc."
Jesus occasionally said "Come!" Yet, His main emphasis was to have the disciples ready to "Go!" We need to re-direct the emphasis of the congregations today. We do "come" to be fed, exhorted, and strengthened... so we can "go" into all the world. We need the welcome mat facing outward at the door.
The welcome mat has several purposes. It not only is a sign of welcome, but most are designed as a place to wipe ones feet. If the welcome mat faces inward outside the door, many will use it to wipe their feet from their dirty ways outside the church building, and enter in a bit more clean. If the welcome mat faces outside, we can use it to exit our meeting place, and go out, cleaned up from the filth of sin, cleaned spiritually, and ready to serve as a child of the Holy Lord Jesus in a world of filth and sin.
There is power in the body of believers, i.e. the church. There is just a building behind most welcome mats. The true church, the body of believers needs revived. We need the gift of exhortation restored to proper use. We need to "shape up!" With the welcome mat facing outward, we will see many changes to the state of this world.
The ecclesia (called out ones) are to have a mission in the world, not just a perfect attendance in the building called the church.
Our mission includes these four points...
1. To evangelize... This is normally done outside where the sinner are. The hospital rooms, the jails, the streets, the family gatherings, the work places, etc.
Mark 16:15
"...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature..."
2. To glorify God... Glorifying God in front of those outside the walls of worship buildings is a great place to show forth our love and worship for God. It edifies God before the world, when we can bless His name, after some have cursed His name.
Romans 15:6-9
"That ye may with one mouth and one mind glorify God..."
3. To edify other Christians... We find many Christians outside the walls of the church buildings, outside and hurting. Perhaps they were hurt by others inside the building we call a church. Perhaps they are hurting in the hospitals, in the work places, in the neighborhoods. We edify other Christians best when we can find them, where they are.
I Corinthians 14:12
"...seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church..."
4. To cooperate in mission and in the duty God gave the called out ones...
We have a mission to win the world, to do good to those who despitefully use and persecute us. They do not come into the church buildings, the church must go out to find them.
I Thessalonians 5:12-13
"...know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves."
Let's get serious with our mission. We need radical, revolutionary Christians to understand the turbulent times in which we live.
We can have revival. We can return to God's original plan for the called out ones..
Then, we will see the life-transforming power, the signs and wonders, the Biblical ministry of Jesus to a dying world, the full impact of a prophetic message, the spiritual awakenings that God wants in these last days.
Good Samaritans will abound when the called out ones step over the welcome mat to get out of the buildings. Loving thy neighbor can be done far better when we actually are outside able to see our neighbor.
　
We are the CALLED OUT ONES, and the welcome mat needs placed inside the doors of our buildings, facing outward, for the Lord is welcoming us to come out with Him, where He is, to minister to those outside the walls of the places we occasionally meet to sup with Jesus.
The church buildings are fine places for spiritual meals, but not to be our only place of service to Him.
Can you imagine if your building some call a church, had the welcome mat on the inside facing out?
Maybe you need to make it more than just IMAGINATION, and really do it!
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
YOUR CHURCH RUNNING
LIKE A FANCY RESTAURANT?
YOUR CHURCH RUNNING
LIKE A FANCY RESTAURANT?
Restaurants operate if they can draw in customers, and convince them to return often. The key for a restaurant is to have good food, sanitary conditions, polite waitresses, and good prices. If you have those things, the restaurant will likely be successful.
I have been to many restaurants. I like to relax and discuss, and a quiet, clean restaurant, with great food, and allowing me to go home without a sink full of dishes to do, make me go out quite often.
There are many good restaurants in my area. Within a mile radius of where I spend most of my work time, there are more restaurants than any other similar area in the country.
There are these many restaurants, due to the fact that more people in this area eat out, than any similar area in the country.
If there is a chain of restaurants going nationwide, they likely are here. So, the variety is great.
There are likewise in most areas a variety of churches. Many denominations, many sizes of churches. There are word of faith churches, catholic churches, holiness churches, Pentecostal churches, nominal churches, independent churches, etc. etc.
Why so many? Why such variety? Well, we are all different.
We all have different beliefs, we have different personalities. Some churches fit us better than others.
The restaurants vary too, to satisfy the variety of customers. Some want music and entertainment, some want great food, some want speed in service, some want low, low price. There are topless waitresses in several (I have not been in those, only recording what is advertised, LOL). There are greasy spoons, there are gangster hideaways, there are sports restaurants. Chinese restaurants almost reign here, one nearly in every block. Buffets are great to go to, when hungry, and the variety is awesome.
The church could learn a lot if they took some hints from good restaurants.
If the food served in churches were wholesome, Biblical, distinctive from the politically correct garbage of the world, the crowds will enter to hear the un-moldy, unburnt, un-poisoned food the Holy Spirit serves in the church.
The spiritual food served must be good. Politically correct, devil tasting, evil condoning, apathetic and spiritually sleepy meals will not bring congregations back. Soul stirring, spicy, and filling sermons satisfy, and make the congregation anxious to return for another and another spiritual meal. Good food is a key to a successful church.
Sanitation is vital to a successful restaurant, and true holiness is a key to a successful church. Finding evil in every other pew of a church, is like finding cockroaches in the salad at a restaurant. I have seen churches give fake words of knowledge, speak forth prophetic words that contradict the Bible, show forth works of the flesh between members like anger, wrath, bitterness, judgmentalism. These unholy things make the congregation want to find another church to attend for their next spiritual meal.
The price is another important factor in the success of a restaurant. I have seen some charge a high sum for a half rack of ribs, and then I remember where I can get a better tasting plate of them for even less money. Where do you think I will go next time?
Some churches are overpricing salvation. They want it earned by continued efforts to earn it. They tell you what you must wear, how to comb your hair, what version of the Bible to carry, etc... all to make sure you are paying the price to purchase salvation.
Some will have you send them $38 dollars so that God will serve you a spiritual meal of the blessings you want. If you don't send it, when commanded by the 'prophetic' price slip handed to you, you will not see your children get saved, the bill collectors will keep calling and you will not be able to pay them. Salvation and blessings are all to be purchased with your 'best' offering, or they will no longer be fed to you.
Other churches just ask you to accept having the Lord pay the price for you. The spiritual blessings are paid for, by His work on the cross. Jesus has earned our salvation, our healing, our blessings. He has already paid the price for salvation, and only asks that you spread the word of the great price of salvation to your friends and neighbors.
Churches that offer that kind of great pricing on salvation, on healing, on spiritual infilling, on gifts of ministry, find that the congregation will come back early and often to feed in that church.
Can you imagine if churches looked at successful restaurants and tried to pattern their ministry like the restaurants?
Can you imagine?
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF THE BELIEVERS WERE ALL ONE,
AS THE GODHEAD IS ONE?
　
IF THE BELIEVERS WERE ALL ONE,
AS THE GODHEAD IS ONE?
　
There have been many debates over the subject of the Trinity. We serve a Godhead Who is made up of three Persons. How are they ‘ONE’? That has been the subject of heated arguments.
Jesus clarifies it in:
John 17:20-21 (KJV)
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.
Jesus prays that we, His disciples, even all of all ages that ‘believe on’ Him, will be ‘ONE’.
Now, if the anti-trinitarians were right, then Jesus prayed there for all of us to become one person.
If there are Three in the Trinity, and they are Three separate Persons, one in unity, one in purpose, one in agreement, then the prayer of Jesus makes sense.
Can you imagine if the anti-trinitarians were right?
If there is only One Person in the Godhead, then Jesus just prayed here for us to be one like They are One.
Can you imagine the scene at the Throne in heaven when all of us are raptured, made into one person, and there we stand...
But not ‘we’ any longer, we are all one body, one person, one person standing there to praise the One on the Throne.
Jesus would be on the Throne, not at the right hand of the Father, for if there is only One. We, or the one person having made it to heaven, would be one in front of a throne with One on it.
This is not the way John describes that day in Revelation 4 and 5. There, there is a multitude, unnumerable, crowding around a throne.
Yet, Jesus prayed for us to be ONE in the same way that the Trinity is One... so we can be multiple persons, make a crowd around the throne, not digested into one body, but many, many bodies.
Can you imagine how much shorter the line would be at the bema seat of Christ?
We are told that ‘all’ must stand before Him that are saved and arriving in heaven. But, if we suddenly, sometime, get to be only one, then we are going to have a line of one, at the judgment seat of Christ.
Can you imagine the great supper in heaven?
The marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven can be then at a small table for two... God in one chair, all the saints of all ages packaged into one person, and sitting in the other chair. This is not how I find it described in the Bible.
Can you imagine the second coming, when the Lord returns with His ‘army’ as He calls us?
The army would be one person, following the One, and that sounds like a small army. Wow, not the way I imagined it.
Can you imagine the rapture even?
When God shouts for all of us to come to the clouds, suddenly, millions disappear, and become one body in the cloud before One God. Sort of a shock to my system, if that were to really be that way.
No, I do not think we are all going to be ONE in the way of being ONE person. So, that must not be the way we are to become One. The Trinity, is Three Persons, and are One in another way then.
Acts 4:32
"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul..."
So here in the book of Acts, the believers were already becoming ONE. They were of ONE heart, and ONE soul, but still multiple persons.
They did not dissolve into ONE person, but became unified, in agreement, having the same purpose and will to serve the Lord.
Marriage partners are said to become ONE in the marriage ceremony, and hopefully continue to be ONE. Yet, they can get in separate cars, go to separate jobs, stand in separate rooms at their home, have separate wardrobes, etc... because they are still TWO persons. They are one united in marriage, supposing to be a separate unity of community, but still separate persons.
A football team can be called ‘one team’, but are still 11 separate persons taking the field of play. If the quarterback fades back after the snap of the ball, he hopes to have separate persons trying to guard him. If he throws a fifty yard pass down the field, he hopes a separate one of the one team is down there to catch it and score the touchdown.
They are One team, made up of separate persons.
Jesus prayed for us to become ONE in that way.
I John 5:7
"For there are Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these Three are One."
This last verse in I John is condemned by the Oneness groups as uninspired. They claim to be the strongest defenders of the Word, and yet, they want to remove passages which disagree with them.
The true understanding of any doctrine will be supported by all Scripture.
When any group needs to discount, remove, or ignore any passage... there is something wrong with their doctrine.
In the Scripture, the use of the word "one" is more of "unity" than it is of number.
For instance, let us examine Deuteronomy 6:4:
"Hear of Israel, the Lord our God is one..."
The word translated "one" is "achid" which means "a united one."
The Lord could have used the word "yachid" which means "an absolute one", but He chose to use the other word.
This is because the "Elohim" (plural of "El", which means 'Almighty God') is one in unity of mind and purpose.
　
Some other examples of the words "achid" and "yachid" are these:
Genesis 1 says that the "evening and the morning" were "one (achid) day."
Genesis 2:24 tells us that two partners were married by God and became "one flesh." This is also "achid."
Genesis 22:2 shows Abraham being commanded to "take thy son, thine only son..." This is the word "yachid" for it was the absolute one son that was referred to.
　
Can you imagine if the oneness of the Trinity meant only ONE Person, and then the Lord is praying in John 17 for us to all be only ONE Person in heaven.
I love all the saints with a agape love, but I do not really want to be made into one person with you, please excuse me... LOL
I want to be me in heaven, with a separate mansion, thank you.
I want to ride my heavenly horse without all of the rest of you always tagging along.
I want to eat my oyster dinner, without some inside me going ‘yuk’ when I lift a fork of them to my mouth.
Sorry, but I still want to be me.
The rest of you can be there, and jump and shout, when I feel like crying for joy in front of the Throne.
Can you imagine if there was only One at the Throne, and only One united one of us in front of it???
Can you imagine only one mansion in the New Jerusalem, only one guardian angel needed to cook that great supper in heaven, only one robe in the pile of robes at the judgment seat, only one crown needed, only one heavenly horse needed to ride back to armageddon, only one saint arriving to battle the armies of the antichrist???
NO! I cannot imagine that.
BUT !!! I can imagine a throne room scene with multitudes of us looking up toward the throne high and lifted up. The shouts from the crowd of us filling that throne room with praise. The multitudes of crowns being thrown at the feet of Jesus, Who is standing next to the Father, where He has been interceding with the Father for us, while the Holy Spirit has been ‘another’ Comforter down here on earth convicting us so we would repent and make it to that great reunion day.
There we will be ONE as they are ONE, one in unity of thankfulness for the works of the Trinity in making sure we could make it to heaven, one in purpose to serve and worship Him for eternity.
Can you imagine the disappointment if we were all a unified body, of one person, an amalgamation of people locked into one body?
NO, thanks. I am glad that Jesus made it clear that we will not be one in that way, no more than they are one that way either.
Yes, God often re-spoke this truth, that they are not One Person, but three, and They are ONE in purpose and in unity, but Three in Persons.
One member of this Trinity is seen sitting beside Another member of the Trinity.
Matthew 16:19
"...He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God..."
Acts 7:55-56
"But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God."
In Revelation 5:7, Jesus is seen walking up to the throne of God and removing a book from God's right hand. This is difficult to picture, if there is only One!
Jesus directly referred to plurality.
John 15:24
"They have both seen and hated both Me and My Father."
John 8:17-18
"It is also written in your law, that the testimony of TWO men is true. I am One that beareth witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me."
John 14:16
"I will pray the Father, and He shall give you Another Comforter..."
John 8:16
"And yet if I judge, My judgment is true, for I am NOT ALONE, but I and the Father that sent Me."
I can imagine that kind of ‘oneness’ for the saints in heaven as we all, in separate glorified bodies, gather around a throne, and worship for eternity the Three Persons of the Trinity.
Yes, we need to have the kind of ONENESS the Trinity has. Jesus prayed for it, and let's pray for it too.
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF GOD HELD YOU TO DO
ALL YOU PROMISED IN YOUR PRAYERS?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF GOD HELD YOU TO DO
ALL YOU PROMISED IN YOUR PRAYERS?
　
I do believe that God answers all my prayers, or will. I do believe God hears all the promises I make to Him. For some answers for what I asked, I may wait until heaven. For others, I may hear a no, while I am waiting for a yes. For some, God may answer in ways, that I do not recognize as an answer. For the promises I make to Him in prayer, there may come a time when He makes us recall our promise, and He asks us to do what we have vowed in prayers.
Sometimes, we pray in ways that we forget or do not understand are prayers. Our conversation with God is not always on our knees. Sometimes in song service we sing words to God, and He hears those prayers also. God hears what we ask, He hears what we promise.
Often in those prayers we do not realize we are even praying. Yet, God listens to our praises, our melodic words to Him are prayers. Our prayers are our vows to Him. What we promise in prayer on our knees, is no more a valid prayer than when we sing the words of our prayers.
Songs with promises to God therein are voluntary. We vow to live for Jesus when we make Him Lord of our lives. We sanctify ourselves to His service, and thereby to put His work before our own. We sanctify ourselves to holy living, and thereby are vowing to avoid sin. We say draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died.... Then we wonder why the Lord allows us to go through events that seem to spiritually crucify us on crosses of persecution. We had prayed to have that suffering to be illustrated to us, so we could understand the love it took for Jesus to do it for us.
Prayerful vows of devotion, or seeking to be more like Jesus, are a part of Christianity. Sometimes prayers are made in times of illness, during times of danger, when under emotional stresses. We have no reason to think we can buy Gods mercy for the price was already paid. God is not going to sell us something Jesus has already paid for, but sometimes Christians try to purchase blessings, with prayers of commitment, with vows of wanting to endure other things, if God will not make us endure this or that.
To offer a vow to the Lord for a blessing, is insulting the grace and mercy that already has been given to us. The idea that healing can be bought, is wrong. The idea that God bestows blessings for what we think we have, or what we could do for Him, is belitting His gifts, and uplifting in pride what we have to offer. Some promise God to endure anything, or something specific, and that if He does, we will ...
Now, if there are prayers we should have prayed, but did anyhow, we should repent of the sinful prayer.
Many songs of worship are good. Many of them call Jesus to be Lord, and God hears those prayers. When the Lord calls for us to obey, even when it is hard, and not what we would have chosen to do, He is giving that call to obedience due to you promising that He is the Lord, and has the right to ask such things of you.
If we sing promises to God, if we pray promises to Him, we are expected to keep them. A perfect man is said to be one that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not... Psalms 15:4
We were warned by God to be careful in our prayers, to not say things we do not mean, for prayers to God are vows.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-6
"Keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore, let thy words be few. ... a fools voice is known by multitude of words. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it, for He hath no pleasure in fools, pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it, that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error...
There are untold multitudes who have prayed Ill go where You want me to go, dear Lord... Or the next verse of Ill do what You want me to do."
Some have prayed to be drawn nearer the cross, when in actuality, they flee and follow afar off like the disciples did, when crucifixion events occur in our day.
Some sign membership cards in church denominations, with promises on them, that the Lord reads as our promises.
Some never try to obey those promises, some never attempt to fulfill them.
Some promise in marriage contracts made in ceremonies where we invite God to witness those promises in the institution He made, and then those promises are broken.
Repentance is required, for vows were prayed, those promises were broken.
Often, people pray foolish prayers, and think talking to God is like talking to their school teacher whom they promised to write the term paper by tomorrow. This is not a whimsical situation of promising God.
We pray vows in marriage. Often one or more of the two in a marriage break the vows, and repentance is needed in this age, for those breakings. God has made provision in the Bible for such breaking of vows.
Some have vowed to obey the commands of an army officer, but if an unjust war comes, they will break that vow to avoid killing innocent victims. There are times to break vows, and we in this age realize it would not be wise to kill innocent people and claim that we would have sinned by breaking the vow if we had not done so.
Yet, just because there is an easier way to alleviate unwise vows in this day of grace, still prayers need to be considered very important. We need to avoid unwise prayers. Consider your words to God carefully. If He asks something, pray to Him that. For He has to wisdom to know what is good to vow, and of what we can be capable of fulfilling.
I could promise God to jump over the moon, but am unable to fulfil it. I could promise to witness to a million people next week, but barring taking over a television studio, and threatening the crew so they put my witness on the air, I doubt if I could fulfil that promise. We need to know of what we are capable, before we pray. We need to know what is really good, before we pray.
BE SURE TO DO WHAT YOU PROMISE TO GOD.
Many in revival need to be careful of prayers made in the overwhelming times of worship. Some are very quick to make deep promises to God, without thinking over their prayer promises. The enemy will try to get you to pray foolishly.
Be sure to talk to the Lord, and to learn His will before you pray.
I remember when a young child it was common to hear words like, I shall see you next Sunday, Lord willing. For sometimes when we speak a promise, we find later we are not able to fulfill it, for some reason or another.
The words Lord willing gave us an out, if a child had to be rushed to a hospital, and our promise to be in church had to not be fulfilled.
The words Lord willing need added back into our conversations.
Some churches want faith promises of donations, and the idea there is that we promise an amount, if we are able to fulfill it, good, and if not, we are not lying that we promised it no matter what. Perhaps the child needs medical attention, and the person has to choose to fulfill a prayer of commitment of giving a certain amount, or to get the child medical help. God wants us to pray wisely, and promise only what we are able to fulfill.
Often, we vow to attend, to give, to stand strong.. But find in reality, we often cannot attend, am unable to give, and we fall down weak. The Lord would rather we had not prayed that we would, when we later find out it nigh to impossible to do what we promised.
Can you imagine if God called you to do all that you ever promised to do for Him? He has a right to do so, for you made those promises, those vows, those commitments to the Almighty God.
To try to pay a stupid, foolish vow to avoid sin is often not wise. For to do so in many of the foolish vows made, it is sin to do, and sin not to do. Be careful in your vows.
If we promised to give God a vast amount of money, but if obeyed, your children would not have food to eat, what does God want you to do? Does He want you to starve your children, or obey your promise to Him? He wants you to feed your children, and therefore, you are in a position of not fulfilling your promise to Him. That requires real repentance, not just a sloughing of it off as though we had not done wrong.
Can you imagine if God brought back to your remembrance all you have ever prayed, vowed, promised to Him in prayers, in song, or even promised others that God heard your words to be truthful promises?
Would you even be able to do all those things?
Would you need to spend much time in repentance, for letting your lips promise lies?
Some of the can you imagine lessons have been humorous, and a truth sprinkled with sugar.
This one is a bit more serious, a bit more a shocking truth.
The only blessed part on this one, is that the Lord has provided a way of repentance, a way of removing our sins of failed promises to be washed away by the blood of Jesus.
Can you imagine the blood washing over all your former prayers and promises to God, atoning for your sinful failures to do what you promised the Almighty God?
Why not make that not just 'imagination', and truly repent of your failed promises to God?
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
THE JOY IN HEAVEN
WHEN ONE SINNER REPENTS?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
THE JOY IN HEAVEN
WHEN ONE SINNER REPENTS?
　
When a person accepts Jesus as Savior and as Lord, turning their lives over to Him in repentance, it is a joyous, spectacular, awesome event. God is not some apathetic accountant, keeping tabs on the number saved, and the ones not yet saved. He is active, giving, urgent, and passionate in seeking to bring more into His kingdom. God weeps over the lost, while some of us just casually figure they will never get saved. God rejoices, and all heaven with Him, when a sinner finds Jesus to be their Answer.
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Too often in our day, we find some who get so casual about the state of sinners, and about their failure to accept Jesus. In the time of the two parables we are to see in this post, the publicans, pharisees, and scribes were coming to where Jesus was, and complaining, murmuring that Jesus was spending too much time and concern over the sinners of the area. Jesus was preaching repent to the sinners, not praising those who thought they were the righteous of the community.
I have seen churches where if all who have done anything in the church or for the church that week did not get publicly thanked and praised for their works, they would be up in arms .
Yet, why are the parishioners up in arms if the altar calls are not given, the invitation to Jesus is crowded out of the scheduled service to allow more time to praise whoever mowed the lawn?
　
These can you imagine posts are similar to the parables of Jesus. To illustrate one truth, He has us imagine another scenario of like meaning.
WHO GOT THE CONCERN?
THE NINETY NINE ALREADY FOUND,
OR THE ONE LOST?
Luke 15:
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
A common sheep farmer with one lost, but 99 safe in the fold, would naturally be concerned over the one. He would search and try to find it, and be very happy when he found it safe.
God likewise is joyous over the sinner who repents and comes into the fold. His joy is beyond our understanding, far greater than any of a sheep farmer, for Gods love surpasses that of the shepherds of this earth.
The calling of the friends in to celebrate shows the extreme joy of this shepherd of the parable. This parable was a can you imagine of Jesus, to illustrate to those critical of His concern for sinners, that His love is why He is concerned over those desirous of salvation.
The lost sheep referred to is not indicative of the murmurers here, for they did not see any reason for themselves to repent.
They were hard, calloused, happy in their sins, sinners. The shepherd of the parable was out seeking the one wandering in confusion, lost in the darkness, calling out to someone to find it. Jesus has compassion and love for those who are lost and afraid. He rejoices with the happy sheep, He calls for neighbors to rejoice too, for the joy in His heart is unsurpassable.
Can you imagine the joy in heaven when a sinner repents, and is announced in heaven to now be part of the kingdom. That sinner likely has friends and relatives who have died previously, and are awaiting the salvation of that loved one.
Can you imagine if they jump, shout, dance, with smiles very big as they hear the announcement in heaven.
Unfortunately, down here on earth, while come go to the altar to claim salvation from this loving God, some saints are wondering how long this altar call will take, for they want to beat the crowd to the local restaurant.
They gather their things together, try to sneak out while the sinner is repenting, and murmur on their way out, that the person probably will backslide before next week anyhow.
God is so happy when one sinner repents that He calls for others to rejoice with Him. The throne room of heaven is filled with rejoicing, and I can imagine that the names of sinners now saints reverberates amidst the shouts of happy saints already there.
This does not denigrate the love of the Lord for the 99, but their day of having their name shouted all over the throne room has already occurred. The good works the 99 did today also make God happy, but the joy of a soul saved is a greater joy. We may have added another diamond to our crown, we may have added another well done to our heavenly resumes, but the addition of one soul to the kingdom is going to be headlining the jubilee praise time of heaven.
IT IS WORTH THE WORK
TO FIND A LOST SOUL
AND
TO LEAD THEM TO JESUS.
Luke 15:
8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
This second parable illustrates the same truth. Jesus used this can you imagine? to reiterate that it is a joyous event, and the angels, in their presence, hear all this rejoicing.
The pieces of silver are the denarii. This denarius was a days wages. Therefore the loss of one of these coins was quite a loss. This woman lit a lam, swept the house, and kept looking until it was found. The lamp helped to seek in the dark places, the labor was hard to clean the whole home, and not give up until it was found.
Today, there are some who pray for souls, witness when they can, but give up far too easy when the person does not quickly accept Jesus. In far too many churches, there are mental lists of ones that have been accounted to be un-save-able. Perhaps repeated rejections have discouraged some, perhaps wrongs done by them to the ones interceding and witnessing, have made the potential soul winner to not truly care if that person reaches heaven. The apathy found in many congregations is so un-heaven-like.
In heaven the saints rejoice, like this woman rejoiced at finding that coin.
As Jesus tried them to think, let me ask again,
CAN YOU IMAGINE the JOY IN HEAVEN?
An angel, probably the guardian angel of the person just saved, hurries to heaven in a flash of time, and arrives with the joyous news, shouts it out in the throne room of God.
Jesus looks to His left, and smiles, confirming to God that this person has truly found Him as Savior.
All the saints worshipping around the throne begin to shout and laugh with joy.
God issues a shout that makes the pillars of that room shake and tremble.
The angels round about burst into song, and the throne room is reverberating with the joyous worship.
Yes, I can imagine that. I want to add some more of those events to heaven, if I have the time. I have already been saved, but if winning someone to Jesus brings that much happiness and joy to God and the rest of heaven, I want to increase those times of rejoicing.
Can you imagine heavens joy?
Next time you see someone accept Jesus, or next time you pray the sinners prayer with someone, imagine heaven at that moment!
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repentance does not have anything to do with 'penance'... penance is an attempt to buy forgiveness with good works...
repentance is a change of mind toward sin, seeing sin as the evil it is, instead of having justified and condoned it...
repentance is a turning away from sin...
rebounding suggest a bouncing up, and does not imply a change of mind, just a natural uplift toward ...
Repentance is a humbling down, an admitting of sin, and redirecting our direction toward God,
repentance is an admittance of our total inability to make it without the mercy and grace that comes when we repent...
repentance is an admission of the truth ...'there is none righteous, no not one'.
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
A HEAVEN WITH ONLY CALVINISTS?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
A HEAVEN WITH ONLY CALVINISTS?
　
I am not an extreme Calvinist, or an extreme Arminian. I am somewhere in the middle. Calvinists believer many things, but one of them is that once you are truly saved, you are eternally secure, unable to backslide and lose salvation. Arminians believe, among other things, that one can lose their salvation.
Some extreme Calvinists believe that even if one becomes a serial killer and rapist, but were formerly saved, they still are saved and headed for heaven. I do not believe that.
Some Arminians believe if you hit your thumb with a hammer and speak a foul word, you have lost salvation and would miss the rapture if it occurred that moment. I do not believe that.
When one chooses again sin, the Lord begins to deal with them, in love and compassion. If the person ever chooses to deny Christ, deny His conviction and wants to totally go into sin, not seeking any longer the Lord, then, I believe, they lose salvation. No, that is not extreme Calvinism, but nor is is extreme Arminianism.
Romans 8 is one of the key passages in this discussion.
Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
None of those things can take away the salvation that is bestowed upon us. There is one thing, and only one thing, missing in that list of things that cannot separate us from God, and that is our own choice.
If we willingly choose to not serve Him, after salvation, and turn knowingly, stubbornly, away from Jesus, no longer wanting Him, we can lose our salvation. This is how I see it.
Of course, that would be a stupid thing to do, and I do not see many who have truly known salvation doing that. It is asinine and depraved thinking to ever do that. The ones who seem to do it easily, and casually, were probably never saved originally.
Extreme Arminians have people backsliding for coughing in church (figure of speech). Extreme Calvinists have some unable to backslide if they stood on a corner and blasphemed God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus, for an hour. I do not agree with either of those extremes. So, still being a bit of an Arminian, a bit of a Calvinist, I find it hard to imagine either extreme to be Biblical.
Yet, can you imagine, that in heaven, we will all be Calvinists?
Yes, in heaven we are eternally saved. Unconditional eternal security is not taught to be unconditional here on earth. But, in heaven, we will not be tempted to sin, not want to ever deny the Lord we worship as we stand there in heaven before the throne.
The saved here on earth are secure in that God will never cast them off of His choice. That does not mean that if we choose to return to sinfulness, and leave Christ, we are eternally secure anyhow, despite our choice.
Yet, in heaven, our choice becomes eternal. God did not pre-determine mans choice, but saved us when we chose to repent and serve Him.
God is not willing that any perish in hell, but His will is for us all to be saved.
II Peter 3:9
not willing that any should perish
The word for willing is bouloumai speaking of the sovereign choice of God. God does not choose to have any perish. He is not pre-determining people to perish.
When we get to heaven, Gods sovereign will is for us to never choose sin again. We will be eternally righteous, making us eternally secure.
Arminians believe we can sin, can lose salvation. Yet, in heaven, it would be useless to believe you could backslide if you sin. We will not want to sin, and therefore will never backslide. We will eternally be Calvinist, eternally secure, in the Sovereign "bouloumai" will of God.
God is supreme in power, and He has absolute dominion over all of creation. Arminians believe God has chosen in that supremacy to give mankind a free will to choose now to be saved or not. When we reach heaven, we will arrive having made an eternal choice, and God will seal that choice for all of us in heaven.
We will be Calvinists forever.
Revelation 11:15
"...the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord."
Can you imagine the shock when getting to heaven, that there are no Arminians there. Even I will have been eternally made into a Calvinist.
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bbyrd009
I brought a Sword
Ooh, I like that, the bouncing and lifting upward; personally. There is a complete 180 change in direction implied in a rebound, so I would ask you to seek where you might agree with this guy, and give his model a chance--it is very...proactive? in dealing with sin, imo. But he's not for everybody.
And while I surely agree that humility is an over~arching principle, I'm fairly convinced that translating repentance here is just another result of accepting the doctrine of Original Sin. While it is close enough to the intended symbol, and may even have been spot-on at one time, it obv has penance as its root, and should be examined, imo. It is, or can be, a death-centered pov.
http://www.wikihow.com/Recognize-the-Fallacy-of-Death-Centric-Western-Christian-Models
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF ADAM AND EVE
HAD EATEN OF THE TREE OF LIFE
AFTER HAVING EATEN
THE FORBIDDEN TREE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF ADAM AND EVE
HAD EATEN OF THE TREE OF LIFE
AFTER HAVING EATEN
THE FORBIDDEN TREE?
Adam and Eve partook of the tree of knowledge of good and of evil. That sin devastated the history of mankind. The curse upon us, the deaths of all, the original sin making all of us to have lean toward sin, and unable in ourselves to ever undo what that sin in the garden has done.
This horrible sin resulted in mankind not being allowed in the garden of Eden, and not being allowed to eat of the tree of life.
Mankind has sought and sought to find a secret of eternal life, and we know it exists, but it is locked in the garden, guarded by cherubim, keeping mankind from finding it.
The strange thing is, that it is a blessed thing, that we cannot eat of that tree. That may startle some of you, for the yearning of mankind has always been to find the tree of life, the water of life, some elixir, some medicine, some diet program, that would make us never die. Oh, how horrible that would be, if we ever found it!!!
There are five possible states for mankind.
1. Absolute infallibility or holiness, as God, but mankind has proven in every person since Adam, that we are not infallible, uncorruptible. If Adam and Eve had not sinned, and everyone since then had not sinned, I would have done it, for I know I am totally fallible. And had I not done it either, you would have. We are far from infallible.
2. Holiness, or proven and tested, yet without sin, as was Christ when He came to earth in the incarnation is the second possibility. Jesus came born of the seed of Adam, yet truly divine, God Who had become man. He lived a perfect life, and never sinned. We have proven that even after salvation, and being forgiven for the sins of ignorance and of weakness before we met Jesus in salvation, to be still not only capable of sin, but totally too weak to always avoid it. Our holiness has proven fallibility.
3. Probation, a state of innocence and potential holiness, is the state Adam and Eve had before the fall. Innocent, with only one thing they could do that would be sinful, all other goodness was natural, and they still fell.
4. Sinful, and totally depraved of any way to personally atone for sin... destined to hell-fire, is the result of sin, and Adam and Eve came to that state of being very quickly.
5. A final state that we can seek is the redeemed, given unmerited favor with God through a plan of God by which He has made us as though we had not sinned. That is the state of being we all need to accept from the Lord. Jesus paid the price for us, and we can receive it in grace.
Mankind started in #3, soon fell into the state of #4, and has since been offered, through the blood of Jesus, to be able to enter into #5.
Since the fall of Adam and Eve, mankind has been void of original righteousness. People are corrupt, and have a bias toward evil, and are totally unable in themselves to restore their former relationship with God. God cannot be pleased with even the good works of a sinner. Sin is universal, and all people must be born again into a new nature that is mercifully given. Total depravity in mankind makes them unable, outside the merciful grace of God, to please God.
Though mankind may possess goodness, civility, good deeds, charity, and seem religious, without the repentance of sins, and the acceptance of God's divine gift of the Lamb of God, i.e. Jesus Christ, and His atonement on the cross for us, there is no salvation!
So, if unredeemed mankind had stayed in the garden and eaten of the tree of life, their body would be eternal, they would eternally be wicked and evil.
If redeemed many would return to the garden, and eat of the tree of life, they would be a redeemed sinner, but still in the body that leans toward sin.
The eternal human, fleshly body is still unable to maintain sinless perfection.
　
The "TOTAL DEPRAVITY" of mankind does not end at salvation.
We still battle sin, we still are capable of carnal choices. This does not mean that everyone has no qualities pleasing to others. But it does mean, that people are prone to sin, and it is natural to be opposed to God's ways. Even though we may do some things that in themselves would be pleasing to God, we are capable of doing other things that will not please God.
All sinners, since the fall, are totally destitute of any possibility of saving themselves. Once a Christian, we choose to commit less sin, or to stop sinning altogether, but the body is still carnal and has ungodly desires.
Can you imagine if the garden was left un-locked, available for anyone who would want to live forever? The visitors to that fruit of eternal life would be as many as there are people. For our blessing, God has made that tree unavailable till we get our new body.
Before we can wisely have eternal life, we need to come to the Father, through Jesus, His Son, convicted and repentant of sin by the Holy Spirit, and have our soul redeemed. This, we call, salvation.
Adam and Eve, though sin, brought to mankind a body that is bent toward sin, and if we were to become eternal before we get our holy body, one not bent toward sin, but inclined toward righteousness, we would plague the universe with that sinful nature.
I Cor. 15:22
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
Romans 5:12-21
"Wherefore by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned...For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many... judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification .... Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience, man were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
The tragedy would be to have this sinful body trapped in the sins and their natural punishment. Jesus made a way of escape from sin and its death penalty, but His plan includes a new body. It would be disastrous for us, for the society, if we ever gained eternal life for this body.
Hebrews 9:27
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment..."
This life is our probation. The judgment to come when our body ceases to live, determines if the new body we receive will spend eternity righteous, or spend it in the lake of fire, eternally punished.
The angels at the garden of Eden will make sure no person ever eats of that tree of life until they have their new body.
There is no Scripture to give us hope of a purgatory, or a chance after death. If one is righteous, heaven awaits after death [II Cor. 5:8, Phil. 1:21-24]. If one is unrighteous, then hell fire awaits them moments after death [Lk. 16:19-31, Rev. 20:11-15]. There is no purgatory, no re-incarnation, no second chance for this body. We desperately need the new body. Our chance is here and now, and Jesus made the way for us. We can receive salvation for our soul, which immediately then becomes eternal. We await the adoption of our body into salvation, and this body must be changed from mortal to an immortal body.
Romans 8:21-23 (KJV)
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Can you imagine eternity with immortal bodies that still lean toward sin. Bodies that are easily tempted, and can sin with ease. How horrible that would be if we had to worry in heaven of thieves breaking in to steal from our mansion. How awful if lust and envy, jealousy and hatred were still sins in heaven.
Can you imagine a heaven with sinners still bound by bigotry?
Can you imagine God needing to set up jails in heaven, to lock away those who chose to return to sin?
God did not want us to ever be tempted with sin again.
Therefore, in His mercy, He locked us away from the tree of life. We cannot eat of it, until we have the eternal and holy body of eternity. This body is totally unable to come to that kind of righteous nature.
The carnal flesh, the weakness of the inner person, is what we learn through the Bible, how to work toward holiness.
Unmerited grace saved us, redeemed us, but we are not incapable of sin while in this carnal body. We need our new bodies.
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF JESUS WERE
LIKE SOME MINISTERS TODAY?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF JESUS WERE
LIKE SOME MINISTERS TODAY?
　
　
Can you imagine if Jesus had John swim underwater and put a fish on the hook of Peter who was fishing. The fish could have a coin in its mouth, and truly look like a miracle to Peter. The other disciples, except John, could have been worshiping and built up in faith. The dancing for joy by Peter would have been sincere, for he was deceived. John, could condone Jesus, as just wanting to build faith, but the writing of the gospel by John would have been tainted by the knowledge that Jesus had deceived, faked a miracle, and therefore all the other miracles that John recorded in his gospel would have been suspect.
　
Can you imagine if Jesus had Mary and Martha had hidden food in water in a tomb, directed to do so by Jesus. And imagine if Jesus had Lazarus fake death, and have his body rushed to the tomb. After 4 days, Jesus comes and calls for Lazarus to come forth, and Lazarus walks out of the tomb. The joy of those who knew the farce could be faked, and the joy and faith of those who did not know the truth could have been lifted.
　
Can you imagine if Jesus had some koolaid to put in the bottom of the empty wine jars, and then had them pour water in on it, and declared it wine.?
　
Can you imagine if Jesus had cursed the fig tree, and later secretly sneaked back and poured a few gallons of weed killer on it. The next day, when passing, He could have smiled when they marveled at how fast the fig tree had withered.
　
Can you imagine if Jesus had some fake lameness, or blindness, and then pretend to be healed when Jesus touched them?
No, I cannot imagine that of Jesus. His miracles were real, not faked. Jesus, even in His human body, had the power of the Holy Spirit to do real miracles. He passed that power of the Spirit on to us. We have gifts of healing, of miracles, etc.
The power of the Spirit is to anoint our lives.
Jesus said I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. When we are called Christians, we are saying we are like Him. We should be pointing the way to God, we are offering spiritual life now, and eternal life of our new body soon, and we are to be TRUTHful as is Jesus.
Some have had imposters pretend to be lame and on crutches. They approach the supposed Christian minister, and pretend to be healed of lameness, and throw down the crutches and run off on two good legs.
Was that a miracle?
No!
It was definitely not of God, not representative of Jesus, and not to be sanctioned by us.
Some have learned some truth about someone through the grapevine and then pretended to give a word of knowledge from God about them. That is shameful deception, and the sin of blasphemy to say that God had miraculously revealed such fact to the minister. That has occurred before my eyes, and in one case I left that church never to visit again. In another crusade service, the grief of the Holy Spirit, had me leave the service early. God is not the author of deception.
The devil is called the father of lies, and Jesus never condones lies.
If Jesus had done the events mentioned above in ways that were not real miracles, we would not be worshipping Him today. For those would have been sin, and He would not have been resurrected. Death could not keep Jesus dead, for He was sinless. He died for our sins, and rose again to offer us a soon resurrection. His sinlessness is what made that possible.
So, I know that He did not do sham miracles.
Many today are doing sham miracles. I want true miracles. I have seen many more than I can count. There is the real, and the real is far more blessed to a congregation, for they are sponsored by the Holy Spirit. The crowds may sometimes be fooled, sometimes rejoice in worship, by the fake. Yet, the emotion is not as great as it could be, if the Holy Spirit were not so grieved by the fakery.
Jesus did real miracles.
We are told to do greater works than He did.
We have the Holy Spirit to empower us to do fantastic miracles.
Why would we want the fake?
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CAN YOU IMAGINE?
CAN YOU IMAGINE
IF GOD GAVE YOU A NICKNAME?
　IF GOD GAVE YOU A NICKNAME?
　
We see many names in Scripture. My parents gave me three Biblical names. Yet, I have been called by other names, some of which were nicknames. A nickname is a name that describes the person, in physical, mental, or sociological description.
A child who is a bit shorter than his peers, is often nicknamed ‘Shorty’ even though later he may outgrow that being truly descriptive of himself.
Someone tall and lean may get the nickname ‘Slim’.
A husband may call his wife ‘darling’, meaning ‘favorite one’.
The wife may call the husband ‘Honey’ which hopefully is indicative of his sweetness.
Some call a Southerner to be a ‘Johnny Reb’, and those of the South call Northerners to be ‘Yankees’.
　
Probably all of us have had nicknames.
Sometimes nicknames are used to denigrate or describe the negative features of a person.
Many a doctor has been called a ‘quack’.
Some unwisely call a policeman a ‘pig’.
Some a bit overweight may be called ‘Fatso’.
Someone always reading may be called a ‘Bookworm’.
Someone always on the computer may be called an ‘Internet Junkie’.
Some insult someone with glasses as being ‘four eyes’.
Some insult someone dictatorial and warring, as a ‘Hitler’.
　
In Christian circles we see some nicknames.
The name ‘Christian’ was initially a nickname given to insult those who served Jesus. It means ‘Christ-like one’ and referred to the idea of the world of that day, that this Jesus Christ was One nailed to a tree for His supposed crimes. So, in referring to someone as a Christian, they meant to describe the end they hoped this person to see. The name has changed its connotation, and now we use it of ourselves respectfully, claiming that we are ‘Christ-like’ in His nature, not in His conviction and in His punishment.
The name ‘hypocrite’ has been used for multitudes in the church, either out of meanness or perhaps when truly deserved.
The terms ‘false prophet’, ‘jezebel’, ‘Judas’, ‘backslider’, ‘holy roller’, Rev., Pastor, etc are often heard in Christian circles.
Sly insinuations infer nicknames people are thinking.
Sometimes, when someone does not agree with us, or who has feelings against us, the nicknames are meant to injure. It is a form of attack. The names may be sly at times.
For instance, one may say, ‘sorry, I won’t cast my pearls before you.’ That is a sly, deceitful way of saying that they are calling you swine, for the reference is to the Bible passage of ‘cast not pearls before swine.’
One may tell another, something to the effect, ‘well, now you can collect your thirty pieces of silver’. That is a sly, deceitful way to call someone a ‘Judas’.
Another may say to one: ‘Come on, give us your opinion, Balaam.’ That indicates that whoever that is said to, may as well not give their ideas, for they are already branded as a false prophet.
Other nicknames often heard in Christian circles are ‘lone ranger’, ‘cowboy’, ‘charismaniac’, ‘prayer warrior’, ‘do-gooder’, ‘holier than thou’.
Some nick names can comfort, some are meant to be ‘fiery darts’.
It would be nice to eliminate some of the cutting, sharp, burning nicknames, and inferences that come with some names.
God has nicknames too. We are told God’s name is Jehovah.
We often call Him ‘God’ which is a nickname from old English, meaning ‘Good One’.
We are told we can call God to be ‘Abba Father’, meaning ‘Daddy’.
We call the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to refer to His ministry.
We call Jesus to be ‘Lord’ meaning Master.
The Jews looked for the ‘Messiah’ meaning the Anointed, Sent One.
What nicknames would God use to describe you?
The ‘Tardy One’ for those always walking into church late?
Discouraged One, Sad Sack, Frowny, for those in deep discouragement?
‘Clown’, ‘Bozo’, for those who are carefree and jovial in the extreme.
‘Studious, Einstein, Professor, for those studious and well read.
Jesus had some nicknames for some in His first coming.
He called some Pharisees to be ‘serpents and vipers’.
He called Peter one time to be ‘satan’.
He called James and John to be ‘sons of thunder’.
He called Simon to be Peter, i.e. the little stone.
‘
Can you imagine if Jesus gave you a nickname for your behavior and attitude today?
Jesus called one church ‘Lukewarm’ but said He would rather they be ‘Hot’ or ‘Cold’.
What would He call you today to describe your behavior today?
‘Lazy bum’ or ‘Workaholic’?
‘Laughing Loon’ or ‘Sad sack’?
‘Singing Canary’ or ‘Grumpy Complainer’?
‘Quiet mouse’ or ‘Clumsy Elephant’?
etc...
There are multitudes of descriptive names we could be called, but what would the Truthful, Honest, Compassionate Lord Jesus call you today?
You will have to imagine what He would call me today, because I am not telling you what I imagine He would. LOL
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