Peace in Christ.
Whosoever wants to come after Him must deny themselves….that is, we must deny their own religious thoughts and ways. We must hear Him and not go about seeking to defend our own works of “righteousness” that were done in the keeping of our denominational commandments and teachings in the ignorance of the truth of the gospel.
This is what Saul/Paul did….he denied himself by counting all of the previous religious thoughts and ways as a loss in order to gain the “excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus” that the Lord spoke to him. Paul lost his life (soul) in order to save it.
He was not found by the Lord trying to defend his own righteousness which is of the law. We also must not be found trying to defend our own church doctrines and commandments of men to the Lord when we hear His voice. We are to be found with FAITH instead in what we hear Christ saying (His knowledge) which supersedes man's private interpretations of the Scriptures.
Php 3:7-10 KJV
(7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
(8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
(9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
(10) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
We are to “take up our cross” also because if we are to follow after Him, we must leave our denominational churches where the truth of the gospel is not being preached. Count all of those previous things as a complete “loss” in order to gain Christ.
They…the churches of earthly-minded men… will persecute you for doing so….but we must die to sin….not rendering evil for their evil by “taking up our cross”. We are to have “fellowship of His sufferings” by being made conformable unto His death on the cross.
We are to suffer their persecutions by not rendering evil for their evil nor threatening them when they threaten us. This is what is meant by “taking up our cross” when we go to follow Him out of the man-based churches. They will think it “strange” that we shall no longer run with them in their church things and will persecute us for leaving them. Remember Lot's wife....and not look back.
Mar 8:34-35 KJV
(34) And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
The truth of the gospel is not being preached in the denominations of men.
This is why Jesus mentions leaving them for the sake of the “gospel” here in Mark 10:29 .
We are to lose our “life”…that is, our soul…for His sake and the GOSPEL’S. We leave the churches of men for the true gospel….leaving their erroneous “another gospel” that they have been preaching to us behind.
(35) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
And again in Mark 10: those who leave their church family for His sake and the GOSPEL’S….the true gospel’s sake….shall receive persecutions by them. But we shall then receive another church family of true believers who believe in the words of Christ they hear as He speaks the truth of the gospel.
Mar 10:
(29) And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
The translation should be here in Mark 10:30 : “and in THIS AGE the coming age-lasting life”.
When we leave their churches for Him and the true gospel’s sake, we can expect to receive an age-lasting life …to live throughout this age mortally. Those who are called to leave are to “lay hold” on age-lasting life to come for them when they do leave.
(30) But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the (this) world (age) to come (the coming age -lasting) eternal life.
This is said to the “rich in this world”: they are to lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the TIME TO COME….taking hold of the expected age-lasting life. In this age, they are to receive the coming age-lasting life of which they are to take hold of now. They who believe can expect to continue to mortally live in the "time to come"...the duration of the rest of this age.
1Ti 6:17-19
(17) Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
(18) That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
(19) Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal (age-lasting) life.
The understanding of the” glorious gospel of Christ” is being hid from the minds of those that are PERISHING (mortally dying). We must leave them.
If they had knowledge of it, they would not be mortally perishing away to the grave but would have age-lasting life in this age to the very end of this age. They would never mortally die.
The fact that they are perishing means that they do not have the truth of the gospel. No mortal flesh is being saved in any man-based church where the truth of the gospel is not being preached.
2Co 4:3-5
(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost (PERISHING):
The “god of this age” (the belly that they are “preaching themselves” for) has blinded their minds. They are Satan’s ministers for doing so.
(4) In whom the god of this world (age) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
(5) For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
Their “god is their belly” that they are “serving” for rather than serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Their “end is destruction”….destruction of their mortal flesh. They mind “earthly things” : what to eat, what to drink, what to wear. They are only preaching for these things and so the gospel is being hid from their understanding.
Php 3:17-19 KJV
(17) Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
(18) (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
(19) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
All of this is comes to an important message.
The keys of the kingdom/government of heaven were given to the disciples….and they did use those keys to “bind” something on earth and so that it was bound in “heaven”….in those who have their citizenship in heaven now in this earth.
Mat 16:19 KJV
(19) And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
What did the original apostles of Christ “bind”?
The original apostles did forgo the “power” to eat of the gospel….that is, they gave up the right to preach for a pay check in order to get their earthly needs met. They did work with their own hands to support their own earthly necessities.
This is now BINDING upon all of us (as they COMMAND it) after them. They did this (work with their own hands to support their own earthly necessities) in order to make themselves an example unto us TO FOLLOW THEM in this.
There is no more option/right/power for preachers to preach and get paid from those they preach to as they (the original apostles) did BIND this on the earth….and so it is binding upon all of us who have our “citizenship in heaven” now in this earth.
They now COMMAND (with the keys of heaven binding it): we who preach must work with our own hands to eat our own “bread”….for they command and exhort by the Lord Jesus Christ that we with quietness (not by using our voice to get paid for “preaching”) work and eat our own bread.
2Th 3:12 KJV
(12) Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
They original apostles of Christ did not eat any man’s bread for nothing. Instead, they worked with “labor and travail” night and day so that they might not be chargeable to any.
2Th 3:7-11 KJV
(7) For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
(8) Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
They did forgo this “power” to preach for a paycheck….and now it is BINDING upon all of us after them for we must “follow” them in their example.
(9) Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
Again, it is COMMANDED (binding) that if we (who preach) do not work (with our hands to support our own earthly necessities), then neither shall we “eat”….that is, to eat of the gospel with UNDERSTANDING. The gospel is then hid to our minds so that we cannot understand it.
This is not about a non-working brother sitting in the back pew but a brother who is in the pulpit preaching for a paycheck (minding earthly things). The apostles have used the keys of the kingdom/government of heaven to bind this commandment upon us.
(10) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
They walk “disorderly” and not after the COMMANDMENT of the apostles who did shut down this option to preach for pay. They are not “working” at all….as the gospel has been hid from their minds as a result. Their "preaching" is not doing anything productive as it is absent of the knowledge of the truth of the gospel.
(11) For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
This letter (2nd Thessalonians) is the AUTHORITY upon all of us. If any man does not “obey”…that is, to subordinately hear (by doing it), we are to have no company with him.
2Th 3:13-15 KJV
(13) But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
(14) And if any man obey (subordinately hear) not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
(15) Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Again….in the keys of the kingdom of heaven…in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…we are to withdraw ourselves from every brother (preaching in the pulpit) who walks disorderly and not after the “tradition”…that is, the TRANSMISSION of the apostles (the commandment of the apostles handed down to us to follow after) that is to be received by us. The "transmission" of the apostles means this commandment is to be passed down to us to keep.
2Th 3:6 KJV
(6) Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition (transmission)which he received of us.
The truth of the gospel is being hid from those who are “preaching themselves”…who are not following after the commandment of the apostles who did bind us all to work with our own hands to support our own necessities. They have become Satan’s ministers because of this.
How so? They follow in the footsteps of Judas who did receive the “sop” (meaning a “mouthful”…crumb…morsel)…and by doing so…Satan had entered into him. The “sop” was “dipped”….as it was hard earned bread (that another has worked by the sweat of the brow for). When we who preach and receive another's bread for nothing, we become a minister of Satan who mind the things of men only and not of God's things.
Joh 13:26-27 KJV
(26) Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
(27) And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
Having received the “sop”….eating another’s bread for nothing…”IT WAS NIGHT” . “It was night” means that those who preach for pay (eating another’s bread for nothing) have the truth of the gospel HID from their minds.
Joh 13:30 KJV
(30) He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
Whosoever wants to come after Him must deny themselves….that is, we must deny their own religious thoughts and ways. We must hear Him and not go about seeking to defend our own works of “righteousness” that were done in the keeping of our denominational commandments and teachings in the ignorance of the truth of the gospel.
This is what Saul/Paul did….he denied himself by counting all of the previous religious thoughts and ways as a loss in order to gain the “excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus” that the Lord spoke to him. Paul lost his life (soul) in order to save it.
He was not found by the Lord trying to defend his own righteousness which is of the law. We also must not be found trying to defend our own church doctrines and commandments of men to the Lord when we hear His voice. We are to be found with FAITH instead in what we hear Christ saying (His knowledge) which supersedes man's private interpretations of the Scriptures.
Php 3:7-10 KJV
(7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
(8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
(9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
(10) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
We are to “take up our cross” also because if we are to follow after Him, we must leave our denominational churches where the truth of the gospel is not being preached. Count all of those previous things as a complete “loss” in order to gain Christ.
They…the churches of earthly-minded men… will persecute you for doing so….but we must die to sin….not rendering evil for their evil by “taking up our cross”. We are to have “fellowship of His sufferings” by being made conformable unto His death on the cross.
We are to suffer their persecutions by not rendering evil for their evil nor threatening them when they threaten us. This is what is meant by “taking up our cross” when we go to follow Him out of the man-based churches. They will think it “strange” that we shall no longer run with them in their church things and will persecute us for leaving them. Remember Lot's wife....and not look back.
Mar 8:34-35 KJV
(34) And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
The truth of the gospel is not being preached in the denominations of men.
This is why Jesus mentions leaving them for the sake of the “gospel” here in Mark 10:29 .
We are to lose our “life”…that is, our soul…for His sake and the GOSPEL’S. We leave the churches of men for the true gospel….leaving their erroneous “another gospel” that they have been preaching to us behind.
(35) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
And again in Mark 10: those who leave their church family for His sake and the GOSPEL’S….the true gospel’s sake….shall receive persecutions by them. But we shall then receive another church family of true believers who believe in the words of Christ they hear as He speaks the truth of the gospel.
Mar 10:
(29) And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
The translation should be here in Mark 10:30 : “and in THIS AGE the coming age-lasting life”.
When we leave their churches for Him and the true gospel’s sake, we can expect to receive an age-lasting life …to live throughout this age mortally. Those who are called to leave are to “lay hold” on age-lasting life to come for them when they do leave.
(30) But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the (this) world (age) to come (the coming age -lasting) eternal life.
This is said to the “rich in this world”: they are to lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the TIME TO COME….taking hold of the expected age-lasting life. In this age, they are to receive the coming age-lasting life of which they are to take hold of now. They who believe can expect to continue to mortally live in the "time to come"...the duration of the rest of this age.
1Ti 6:17-19
(17) Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
(18) That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
(19) Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal (age-lasting) life.
The understanding of the” glorious gospel of Christ” is being hid from the minds of those that are PERISHING (mortally dying). We must leave them.
If they had knowledge of it, they would not be mortally perishing away to the grave but would have age-lasting life in this age to the very end of this age. They would never mortally die.
The fact that they are perishing means that they do not have the truth of the gospel. No mortal flesh is being saved in any man-based church where the truth of the gospel is not being preached.
2Co 4:3-5
(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost (PERISHING):
The “god of this age” (the belly that they are “preaching themselves” for) has blinded their minds. They are Satan’s ministers for doing so.
(4) In whom the god of this world (age) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
(5) For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
Their “god is their belly” that they are “serving” for rather than serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Their “end is destruction”….destruction of their mortal flesh. They mind “earthly things” : what to eat, what to drink, what to wear. They are only preaching for these things and so the gospel is being hid from their understanding.
Php 3:17-19 KJV
(17) Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
(18) (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
(19) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
All of this is comes to an important message.
The keys of the kingdom/government of heaven were given to the disciples….and they did use those keys to “bind” something on earth and so that it was bound in “heaven”….in those who have their citizenship in heaven now in this earth.
Mat 16:19 KJV
(19) And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
What did the original apostles of Christ “bind”?
The original apostles did forgo the “power” to eat of the gospel….that is, they gave up the right to preach for a pay check in order to get their earthly needs met. They did work with their own hands to support their own earthly necessities.
This is now BINDING upon all of us (as they COMMAND it) after them. They did this (work with their own hands to support their own earthly necessities) in order to make themselves an example unto us TO FOLLOW THEM in this.
There is no more option/right/power for preachers to preach and get paid from those they preach to as they (the original apostles) did BIND this on the earth….and so it is binding upon all of us who have our “citizenship in heaven” now in this earth.
They now COMMAND (with the keys of heaven binding it): we who preach must work with our own hands to eat our own “bread”….for they command and exhort by the Lord Jesus Christ that we with quietness (not by using our voice to get paid for “preaching”) work and eat our own bread.
2Th 3:12 KJV
(12) Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
They original apostles of Christ did not eat any man’s bread for nothing. Instead, they worked with “labor and travail” night and day so that they might not be chargeable to any.
2Th 3:7-11 KJV
(7) For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
(8) Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
They did forgo this “power” to preach for a paycheck….and now it is BINDING upon all of us after them for we must “follow” them in their example.
(9) Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
Again, it is COMMANDED (binding) that if we (who preach) do not work (with our hands to support our own earthly necessities), then neither shall we “eat”….that is, to eat of the gospel with UNDERSTANDING. The gospel is then hid to our minds so that we cannot understand it.
This is not about a non-working brother sitting in the back pew but a brother who is in the pulpit preaching for a paycheck (minding earthly things). The apostles have used the keys of the kingdom/government of heaven to bind this commandment upon us.
(10) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
They walk “disorderly” and not after the COMMANDMENT of the apostles who did shut down this option to preach for pay. They are not “working” at all….as the gospel has been hid from their minds as a result. Their "preaching" is not doing anything productive as it is absent of the knowledge of the truth of the gospel.
(11) For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
This letter (2nd Thessalonians) is the AUTHORITY upon all of us. If any man does not “obey”…that is, to subordinately hear (by doing it), we are to have no company with him.
2Th 3:13-15 KJV
(13) But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
(14) And if any man obey (subordinately hear) not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
(15) Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Again….in the keys of the kingdom of heaven…in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…we are to withdraw ourselves from every brother (preaching in the pulpit) who walks disorderly and not after the “tradition”…that is, the TRANSMISSION of the apostles (the commandment of the apostles handed down to us to follow after) that is to be received by us. The "transmission" of the apostles means this commandment is to be passed down to us to keep.
2Th 3:6 KJV
(6) Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition (transmission)which he received of us.
The truth of the gospel is being hid from those who are “preaching themselves”…who are not following after the commandment of the apostles who did bind us all to work with our own hands to support our own necessities. They have become Satan’s ministers because of this.
How so? They follow in the footsteps of Judas who did receive the “sop” (meaning a “mouthful”…crumb…morsel)…and by doing so…Satan had entered into him. The “sop” was “dipped”….as it was hard earned bread (that another has worked by the sweat of the brow for). When we who preach and receive another's bread for nothing, we become a minister of Satan who mind the things of men only and not of God's things.
Joh 13:26-27 KJV
(26) Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
(27) And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
Having received the “sop”….eating another’s bread for nothing…”IT WAS NIGHT” . “It was night” means that those who preach for pay (eating another’s bread for nothing) have the truth of the gospel HID from their minds.
Joh 13:30 KJV
(30) He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
