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This book of the bible is frequently and
erroneously
referred to as the start of "The Church, The Body of Christ".
99.44% of fundamental, bible-believing teachers and pastors
embrace this falsity as truth! The fact is, The Book of Acts is
primarily about the unbelief of Israel and God's postponement of
her program. |
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These books of the bible are where believers in this dispensing
of God's grace should go for their day-to-day doctrine on
living. These books contain the revelation of the mystery,
otherwise known as the gospel of Jesus Christ. |
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contact LMM
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For though
I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity
is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the
gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward:
but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is
committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily that,
when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ
without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
1
Corinthians 9:16-18
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REMEMBER,
THE FOUR SYNOPTIC GOSPEL ACCOUNTS OF THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JESUS
CHRIST WERE WRITTEN
TO
ISRAEL UNDER THE LAW:
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SINCE
PROPHECY IS SUCH A HOT TOPIC THESE DAYS, DID YOU EVER WONDER WHAT THE
TRIBULATION SAINTS WILL STUDY AFTER THE BODY OF CHRIST IS RAPTURED?
Doctrine
for
The
Tribulation Saints after the rapture of the Body of Christ:
Here Israel is now back at the forefront under the law against the
imminent judgment and earthly return of The Messiah, Jesus Christ.
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1 For this cause I Paul, the
prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of
the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to
you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the
mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye
read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as
it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the
Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the
same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the
grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his
power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is
this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is
the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the
world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus
Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the
manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose
which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. 13
Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my
tribulations for you, which is your glory -
Ephesians 3:1-13 |
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The erroneous
understanding of
Many
well-meaning Christians truly want to know "what Jesus would have
done" when faced with the same life choices as they are faced with
today. Let's investigate to see if Jesus Himself would want us to
take this approach today....
Many
Christians take the Lord Jesus Christ and make Him their pattern in
life. They look at the Savior's perfect life, conduct and ministry and
assume that "this is what God would want from me or even expect
from me today!" This group calls Him "The Great Example". When problems
arise, they ask themselves: "What would Jesus do?" They seek His
righteousness by "walking in His steps".
Then there are others who quickly realize their own shortcomings and
grow frustrated at the impossible task of attempting to live as
righteous as Jesus did. Feeling hopeless and hearing Old Testament
terms like "backsliding" they write themselves off from Christian
service, bible study or God-given gifts that edify the Body of Christ.
In many other instances, whether at social settings, work or recreation
God wants to use us as His ambassador's as a witness to the lost.
While our Lord's moral and spiritual virtues are indeed worthy of
emulation, there were many details in His conduct which we should not
imitate. As an gross example, would we attempt to walk on water to prove
a point? If we come in contact with an accident victim, do we yell "
rise up and walk" or administer CPR and call for help? Further, I do not believe that any
of us would be in a position to pronounce judgment upon the religious
hypocrites of today including the bitter woes which Christ
pronounced upon the Pharisees of His day.
The fact is friends that we cannot be made right
 with
God by "following Christ," at all or even striving to live as He did.
Satan would love for people to think this way since this belief attempts
to undermine the very core of the gospel message for this dispensation
of grace. On the contrary its His perfect holiness that would
only emphasize our unrighteousness and condemn us. And as a
Christian we DO NOT maintain our righteousness since Jesus Christ
"made us right" (justified us---proclaimed us right) FREELY by His grace
as a benefit of what He did at Calvary!
Romans 5:1,2 - 1 Therefore being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The bible tell us us that being justified or made
right with God The Father, we have access by this "faith" wherein we
stand right now! The "access" part of it comes from the Greek word that
sounds like a spaghetti sauce brand----prosagōgē
pronounced pros-ä-gō-gā'. It means that we can approach God
because we are in a relationship with The Father "and have assurance
that he is favorably disposed towards us"! Let's think for a
second on how this occurred.... We have this relationship because
we have been baptized by the Holy Ghost into Jesus Christ Himself! How
did we "earn" this relationship you might ask?? We "earned"
nothing but instead...through simple
faith friends....by taking God The Father at His Word concerning
the finished accomplishment of His Son Jesus on our behalf.
You see, the misconception of the issue on WWJD is the fact that He
(Jesus) came to save us, not by His life,
but by His death.
"For
I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; -
1 Corinthians 15:3
and because of this, sinners are NOW
"reconciled
(past tense)
to God by the death of His Son"
-
Romans 5:10.
God has indeed given us a pattern for salvation...not Christ according
to His earthly ministry but to none other than the Apostle Paul, the
chief of sinners who was saved by grace. Hear what Paul says He received
by divine inspiration (through Christ):
"This
is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, THAT CHRIST JESUS
CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS, of whom I am chief"
- 1 Timothy 1:15.
...and again..
Be ye
followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. -
1 Corinthians 11:1
Paul, as Saul of Tarsus, had led his nation and the world in rebellion
against God and His Christ. He was "exceedingly mad" against the
disciples of Christ and "breathed threatening and slaughter" against
them. Why then, did God save him??? He goes on to tell us in the next
verse of
1
Timothy:
"Howbeit [but] for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus
Christ might show forth all longsuffering,
FOR A PATTERN to them which
should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting".
In addition, the bible also tells us
in Romans 15 that Jesus came to CONFIRM THE PROMISE MADE UNTO THE
FATHERS:
8
Now
I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth
of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 9 And that the
Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this
cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And
again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12
And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that
shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. 14 And
I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of
goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Many opponents of this ministry as
well as the message of grace and Paul's distinctive ministry will
exclaim " Aha!; Christ came so that the Gentiles might glorify God for
His mercy and be confessed by God to rejoice and praise WITH HIS
PEOPLE....you see, we are Gentiles so its all the same gospel message!
Readers, please note:
Concerning the passages above, the Gentiles PRIOR to God's dispensing of
grace, those that were not Jewish, HAD TO COME THROUGH ISRAEL in order
to be saved. This is what was (as Paul quoted Isaiah in Romans 15
above) and what will be in time future when God closes
this current program of grace that we now abide in via "the
departure"...otherwise known as "the rapture".
But through the revelation of the
mystery, The Risen, Glorified Lord Jesus tells Paul something wonderful
about Jew & Gentile together under grace:
Ephesians 2:11-22 - 11 Wherefore
remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are
called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the
flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants
of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in
Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ. 14 For he is our peace,
who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself
of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile
both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the
enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar
off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access
by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers
and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household
of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom
all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in
the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of
God through the Spirit.
You see friends, Gentiles in time
past (...you and I had we been alive) were estranged from the God
of Israel...we were enemies to God! In fact, we were all of the wretched
things Romans 1 indicated...proven idol-worshippers going back to the
Tower of Babel in our pathetic history!
Let's re-read what the apostle Paul
spoke of concerning our hopeless condition in the words from Ephesians
2:12 when he wrote:
That
at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope,
and without God in the world:
Gentiles were "without Christ"
estranged, aliens and could only be saved going through Israel.
"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by
the blood of Christ"
What I can't seem to get my head
around these days is how Christians talk about being "on fire for the
Lord" or truly and sincerely want to do as Jesus did, but yet
somehow neglect the plain readings of what Jesus Himself told Paul to
tell us about and how He wants us to conduct ourselves through the
riches of His grace!
Are Paul's letter's less important
that then the red lettering of Christ? Did Jesus Himself not reveal to
Paul through several special appearances about the benefits of the cross
that exceeded any program previously in place in God's past dealing with
mankind over time and eternity?
The core issue at hand here is that
putting WWJD above the gospel of the grace of God as Paul revealed it is
in essence preaching "another" Jesus and was indeed what the apostle
warned believers about. In his book to the Galatians, Paul did not
preach against a "gospel" of another kind friends....same gospel (good
news)...but he warned about the wrong "good news" being preached. In
fact, Paul said if He came back himself and preached any other
gospel than he had already delivered or if an angel from heaven
came with an "update" consider those messengers accursed!
Is WWJD romantic and sentimental? Oh,
no doubt...and it is a very marketable concept I might add with
literally millions of dollars tied to anything with that acronym.
Friends, i know that this is not a
popular message but it is the truth and if you want to talk to me about
it more, I encourage you to search the scriptures on this matter. Please
feel free to contact me as well at
campy31@comcast.net.
Grace and peace from god our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ
BIBLE TEST
by Cornelius R. Stam
A Bible test was sprung
recently on five classes of college-bound 11th and 12th
graders in an American public school.
Some thought Sodom and
Gomorrah were lovers; that the Gospels were written by
Matthew, Mark, Luther and John; that Eve was created from an
apple; and that the stories which Jesus told were called
parodies.
Eighty to ninety percent
of the students could not complete the most familiar
quotations from Scripture.
The teacher, Thayer S.
Warshaw, was understandably upset and rightly asked: "Is the
student to study mythology and Shakespeare and not the
Bible? Is it important for him to learn what it means when a
man is called an Adonis or a Romeo, yet unimportant for him
to be able to tell a Jonah from a Judas?"
This writer's heart is
with that teacher and all who are awake enough to see that
the Bible is disappearing more and more from American life.
How can we expect anything but juvenile delinquency, the
rapid general rise in the crime rate, the growing divorce
rate, increasing dishonesty at every level of business and
social life --- how can we expect anything but these
conditions when the Bible is flaunted and despised? This
departure from the Word of God is bound to get us deeper and
deeper into trouble.
But whatever the
conditions about you, you may have the joy and peace and
light that comes from that Blessed Book. The Bible tells us
frankly that "all have sinned" (Rom.3:23) and that "the
wages of sin is death" (Rom.6:23) since a just God must deal
with sin. Ah, but it tells us also that "Christ died for our
sins" (ICor.15:3), and that the believer may have "peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom.5:1).
Read the Bible,
especially the Epistles of Paul, who was raised up to
proclaim "the gospel [good news] of the grace of God" (Acts
20:24). You will never cease to thank God for having given
your attention to this wonderful Book.
BIBLE FOOD
FOR THOUGHT DEPARTMENT:
Pastor Curt Crist from Grace Bible Church in Hendersonville, NC often threads
these 7 fundamental questions into his teachings in order to help edify the
saints:
- WHERE WAS SIN JUDGED?
AT THE CROSS....
- HOW MUCH OF IT?
ALL OF IT....
- WHAT WAS THE VERDICT?
GUILTY...
- WHAT WAS THE PENALTY?
DEATH...
- WHO TOOK IT?
JESUS CHRIST...
- HOW MUCH OF IT?
ALL OF IT....
- HOW MUCH DID HE LEAVE FOR YOU?
NONE OF IT....
Of which
the Pastor would jokingly close: "Why you've been trained pretty
good!"....
www.welcometograce.net
http://www.welcometograce.com
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Today's World News
God is
not through with Israel!
The resulting confusion of
what is truly going on behind the scenes of our faith...
Jerusalem, Israel:
Often overlooked by many bible teachers today is the fact that God is
not done with Israel. To make matters worse, there are many, many
mainstream, evangelical, bible based ministries....even those ministries
who flat out proclaim they are "friends of Israel" or promote that they
"love the Jew" inflict subtle damage because they are not rightly
dividing the word of truth. As a result they are embracing The
Adversary's plan of evil known as "replacement theology". How is
this possible??
Romans
11:1-25 - 1 I say
then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an
Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath
not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the
scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against
Israel saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down
thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what
saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven
thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even
so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the
election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works:
otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no
more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7 What then? Israel hath not
obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it,
and the rest were blinded. 8
(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber,
eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto
this day. 9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and
a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 10 Let their
eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11 I say then, Have they
stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their
fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to
jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world,
and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more
their fulness? 13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the
apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14 If by any means I may
provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of
them. 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the
world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16
For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be
holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off,
and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with
them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Boast not
against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but
the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that
I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken
off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if
God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not
thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them
which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his
goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if
they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able
to graff them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree
which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good
olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be
graffed into their own olive tree?
25 For I would not, brethren,
that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in
your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until
the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
The Cause: Not being of
one mind. By failing to recognize Paul's distinctive teachings and the
ushering in of a new set of instructions (or dispensed doctrine)
specifically for The Body of Christ, thousands of denominations have
sprung up over the last 2,000 years effectively dividing believers and
causing mass confusion amidst Christendom! In the meanwhile,
secularists, the unsaved and atheists gaze upon this train wreck in
self-righteous satisfaction in an attempt to justify their unbelief.
During a recent visit out in Pal Talk
(an environment where people around the world can share views, movies,
instant chats, etc...) where I was speaking with an atheist about the
existence of God, he "smoke-screened" me by bringing in another
"Christian" (who was not saved by what she told me about her faith)
in order so he could sit back and watch the debate. Bottom line, The
Body of Christ has lost its effectiveness to reach the lost and before
we can entertain the notion of witnessing, we must be as our apostle
said "of the same mind"!
Philippians
1:27,28 - 27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the
gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I
may hear of your affairs, that
ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the
faith of the gospel; 28 And in nothing terrified by your
adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you
of salvation, and that of God.
Philippians
2:1,2 -1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if
any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and
mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy,
that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one
mind.
And as Paul knew that NOT being of
the same mind would foster the foundation of division, he told two
ladies in the church words that speak to all of us:
Philippians
4:1,2 - 1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed
for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. 2 I
beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in
the Lord.
The Correction: If we
are to truly to take God at His word concerning the matter of His
working with Israel, if we are to truly combat erroneous teaching and
test our thinking with the scriptures casting
aside what we've been told, the Holy Ghost will train us, teach
us and show us the error of our pride, dullness and lack of
understanding (I'm not only the president, but I am a client of the
hairclub for men...in other words I'm preaching through example friends)!
It starts with "correctly
partitioning" or "correctly dividing" the bible into the parts it was
intended for. Men and women of God since the beginning of creation were
given instructions for living and for deliverance by God. Because of
man's faithlessness, God in His grace and mercy updated and or changed
these instructions in order to provide the fellowship that He has always
wanted for man. Today and as a direct result of the completeness of
Jesus Christ's redemptive work, all people Jew or Gentile, bond or free,
man or woman can be a child of God (no matter what church they
currently attend OR not attend) through simply believing:
-
That Jesus Christ died on the
cross to pay for the debt and penalty of the sins of the human race
(that means you and me).
-
That Christ (He who knew no
sin became sin for us) was buried three 72-hour days in a tomb
thus putting those sins far from God The Father (who cannot look
upon sin).
-
That Jesus Christ gloriously rose
from the dead (being previously separated -death- from
God The Father and God The Holy Ghost AND death as a man) as
recorded in the scriptures and in effect destroyed death and its
domain.
-
That as a result of the above act
of love and sacrifice, Jesus Christ made us completely and eternally
right with God thus imputing His very own righteousness to us.
Nowhere other than in Paul's
epistles do we read about such a great deliverance! For some reason
that seems to fry people and I can't understand why my friends. For as
sin abounded, GRACE did much more abound. Mankind contrary to popular
belief is getting disgustingly worse since his existence. I think
most people (believers included) actually think that man is improving or
getting better and better each day... The marble is definitively rolling
downward on the board of life. What man IS getting better and
better at is hiding, blaming or justifying his wretchedness.
We must correct this self
righteousness thinking which actually fuels the notion that "we could do
better" then Israel did (or replace her) by claiming HER
suspended promises as our own as many, many well known denominations
do. We must correct the thinking and belief of the complete
eradication of the sin nature upon conversion....and if that were true,
then you can "eradicate' Paul's letters or the need for him to have
written them at all! We must correct the thinking that our
conduct is indicative of our salvation as this thought process lies in
company with a works-based salvation.
While having dialog with another
Christian, they bemoaned the fact that people in his church "said one
thing and did another". That if they continued in a particular sin that
they were never really saved at all. He then referred to the verse in
1 John 19 which states:
19
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of
us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that
they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
I told him that if you catch me in
the right moment of road rage during my commute home, you'd think that I
was not "one of us either". You cannot look at this verse and then look
at a felloe believer and decide whether or not they are saved friends.
If you are going to look at anything, look at the previous verse AND the
whole book of 1 John and ask is it my doctrine for today?
Let's look at the passage again with
some light on it:
18 Little children, it is the
last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are
there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been
of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out,
that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
This book of the bible is not TO
The Body of Christ friends. This book is TO future Tribulation
Kingdom Saints who John refers to as "little children" on hearing how
the antichrist shall come and that there are many antichrists during
their "last time" prior to the anticipated arrival of Jesus Christ.
These saints will most assuredly identify by conduct, who is "of them"
and who is not. Tell me, will we as believers under the dispensing of
the grace of God have to give any thought to the antichrist? Not if you
believer "the departure' occurs FIRST! The calling out of God's saints
via the rapture is what we look forward to. But I can tell you this, if
you believe that 1 John is your TO mail, then you must
subscribe to a post-tribulation belief that the Body of Christ will go
through the tribulation. And if you believe that, then how can Paul say
that we have grace and peace from God Our Father and The Lord Jesus
Christ in all of his letters?
Without rightly dividing the word of
truth that Paul tells Timothy to teach as a foundation, error most
assuredly enters in. When error enters in, division and fragmentation
follows with the resulting denominationalism now firmly in place.
"It shall greatly
help thee to understand Scripture, if thou mark, not only what is spoken
or written, but of whom, and to whom, with what words, at what time,
where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth
before and what followeth after." -----Miles Coverdale, Prologue to the
1535 Coverdale Bible
By not drawing a distinction
to what was spoken or written, of whom as well as to whom, at the time
intended for a specific audience while considering what occurred and
what is to happen after we take the word of God out of its context
and in turn pervert scripture. The most common of biblical errors is not
necessarily NOT reading the bible at all, but instead reading ourselves
into areas of the bible meant for Israel whether it be in time past or
in time future!
Israel's Future:
God has not changed His
mind concerning His chosen nation. He has not reverted to a "plan B" in
a panic. Everything is going on as it should when he created the heaven
and the earth. God has temporarily suspended His program for
Israel. When the pastors teach that 1948 was God's plan to establish a
sovereign nation and that the United States is somehow involved in bible
prophecy they are in error for Israel's prophetic program has been
suspended as well.
As long as God continues to deal with
the Gentiles according to the mystery of God which was hid in Christ
since the foundation of the world, His program with Israel will
stay suspended. In this present dispensation of grace, God is NOT
fulfilling His program with Israel (most of Israel is in unbelief or
rejects the trinity at best) and NOT fulfilling His prophecies and
promises to her. But please remember that He has NOT transferred or
replaced Israel with The Body of Christ, or chosen witnesses or any
orthodox religion friends. God's election of Israel still stands today
and He will bring His promises to pass!
Teachings such as Replacement
Theology, Reconstructionism or Reformed Theology will flatly reject
dispensationalism and in turn reject Romans 11:1-25 and Ephesians 3 by
interpreting scripture in a way that fits their theology. And let
me tell you, they get pretty fired up about what I'm writing here
friends. I won't get into the mud-slinging of saying who is saved and
who is not, but they have clearly called me the devil for teaching the
above...no doubt.
In summary, God is not attempting to
fulfill His program with Israel in this present dispensation (of which
many teachers like to call the church age). Further, He is not
trying to establish "the kingdom of heaven" on planet earth today either
or waiting for humanity to perfect itself prior to His arrival. No
friends, what God is doing today was given to the apostle of this
dispensation....it is new, distinct and it involves the forming of a
"new creation", His Body to carry out this message to a confused, lost
and dying world as Israel's program AND the fulfillment of it stays in
abeyance until God concludes this current economy of grace.
 |
COFFEE
CORNER
PROPHETS
OF THE OLD TESTAMENT:
Joel
I have found that over my time studying God's word that renown men of
old, chosen ambassador's of God throughout the bible were much like you
and I. Some had families, vocations and circumstances that were all
similar to people today in some way. Throughout the next series of
publications, I will be giving readers a mini-exposition on some of
these men and women of God through the eyes of the grace of God
looking back...
1 The
word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. 2 Hear this, ye
old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in
your days, or even in the days of your fathers? 3 Tell ye your children
of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children
another generation. 4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the
locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm
eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller
eaten. 5 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of
wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. 6 For
a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose
teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great
lion. - Joel 1:1-6
Vital Statistics:
-
Occupation:
There is a great deal of scripture references
towards the agricultural conditions of the land
which would appeal to farmers but nothing is known
about the author’s occupation in life except that he
lived and prophesied in Judah and Jerusalem and was
the son of Pethuel.
-
Dates of
Prophecy: 793 to 753 B.C. or possibly as late
the Babylonian captivity which then would have
placed his prophecy around the mid-500s B.C.
-
Unique
characteristics: Along with the other minor
prophets including: Amos, Hosea, Obadiah, Jonah,
Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah
and Malachi, these unique prophesies represented a
course of upcoming curses (the day of the LORD)
from the LORD that would be unparalleled in Israel's
rebellious history. Joel, who was a prophet from
Judah, spoke to the people during a time of trouble
and calamity.
Background: The book of Joel was designed to call the
nation to repentance on the basis of the disaster of the locust plague,
a token of the more devastating judgment of the coming "Day of the
Lord". These judgments fall right in line with what God proclaimed
according to the course of curses in Leviticus 26. The prophecy was also
intended to comfort the nation with the promise of a future restoration
and prosperity in the Day of the Lord, a day of deliverance for Israel
and destruction for her foes.
But this great plague is but a mere
microcosm of much greater judgment and wrath to come, and it ultimately
looks toward the future “day of the LORD.” The book is divided into two
major sections:
-
The first
section deals with the locust plague
(1:1–2:17), which includes an actual description of
the plague (1:1-12), a prediction of a future day of
wrath (1:13-20), and a call to repentance (2:1-17).
-
The second
section presents promises of future blessing
(2:18–3:21) including the land’s restoration
(2:18-27), an outpouring of the divine Spirit
(2:28-32), and the judgment of enemy nations and
Judah’s renewal (3:1-21).
Ministry: Joel
prophesied of a coming destroying army of locusts, God’s punishment for
sin being overwhelming, dreadful, and unavoidable. When His wrath
occurs, there will be no food, no water, no protection, and no escape!
The day for settling accounts with God for how mankind has rejected His
word will be dealt with during this time. During times of stress it
appears plainly that the cares of this world are most real to us but
during this future day of reckoning—not the weather, mother nature, the
economy, finances or threats from a foreign invader will matter. mankind
will not be able to ignore or offend God forever and he will be forced
to pay attention as His wrath is delivered.
The apostle Peter knowing that
Israel's time was "at hand" quoted from the prophet:
14
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said
unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this
known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken,
as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this
is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to
pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all
flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young
men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my
servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my
Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven
above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of
smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it
shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord
shall be saved.
-
Acts 2:14-21
This book of prophecy and future
judgment of God is in direct contrast to how God is thankfully dealing
with us today under this wonderful dispensing of grace! For the last
two thousand years, Jesus Christ told Paul to proclaim - Grace and peace
from God The Father and from Our Lord Jesus Christ.
And
all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus
Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit,
that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation. - 2 Corinthians 5:18,19
THE
CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST
by Russell S.
Miller
It was a dismal day indeed when they
crucified the Son of God. And that night of His arrest, and judgment, He
was not even given a fair trial. And what treachery! Under cover of
darkness, Judas Iscariot betrayed our Lord into the hands of wicked men
for "thirty pieces of silver"
(Then
one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto
you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16 And
from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
Matthew 26:14-16).
Our Lord
said to those priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders,
"...this is your hour, and the power of darkness"
(When
I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against
me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
Luke 22:53),
yet He held that entire mob under His complete control.Those Jewish
priests, who were ordained to "offer both gifts and sacrifices for
sins", should have been "compassionate" (1
For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things
pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of
the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. 3 And by
reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer
for sins. 4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is
called of God, as was Aaron. Hebrews 5:1-4).
Instead
they had become proud and arrogant, strutting about with their
"phylacteries" and "salutations" and "chief seats in the synagogues,"
and for a "pretense" they made "long prayers".
Matthew
23:1-12
-
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his
disciples, 2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but
do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4 For they bind
heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders;
but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But
all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their
phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the
uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 And
greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8 But
be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye
are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is
your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for
one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you
shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be
abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Mark
12: 38-40
- And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes,
which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the
marketplaces, 39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the
uppermost rooms at feasts: 40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a
pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
In their
hatred of the Lord Jesus they showed themselves to be not one wit better
than their fathers
(31
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of
them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your
fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the
damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and
wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and
some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them
from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood
shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of
Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the
altar.
Matthew
23:31-35).
And all their boasting about the law brought them not one inch closer to
God. To crucify an innocent man, a righteous man, a holy man shows how
wicked men can be when ambitions, and traditions, and politics, are
placed above the Word of God. Judas "repented" that he had "betrayed the
innocent blood," but it was a selfish repentance
Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And
they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. -
Matthew 27:4).
And in their hypocrisy the chief priests and elders took the blood money
from Judas and declared that it was "not lawful to put them into the
treasury, because it was the price of blood". But they could not wash
the guilt from their hands, no, not from one of their fingers. And
Pontius Pilate, try as he might that night, could not "release" this
Prisoner even though "he knew that for envy they had delivered Him".
Matthew 27:18 -
For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
"And so Pilate,
willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto
them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to
be crucified"
(And so Pilate, willing to content
the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered
Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
- Mark 15:15).
Nor was the Governor
innocent in his deliberations that night as he passed
sentence upon Jesus Christ and his whole band of Roman
soldiers "mocked" the Lord. They "spit upon Him", and
"platted a crown of thorns" upon His head, and "bowed
the knee" before Him. They "smote Him on the head" with
the "reed" they had first put in "His right hand", and
they "mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!" So
both Jews and Gentiles are guilty of the crucifixion of
Jesus Christ. They made Him carry that heavy wooden
cross until He could no longer bear up under its weight.
They drove spikes into His hands and feet and they
"crucified" Him in a place called "Calvary"
(27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into
the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of
soldiers. 28 And they stripped him, and put on him a
scarlet robe. 29 And when they had platted a crown of
thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his
right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and
mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they
spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the
head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took
the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him,
and led him away to crucify him. 32 And as they came
out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they
compelled to bear his cross. 33 And when they were come
unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of
a skull, - Matthew 27:27-33).
The chief priests
"mocked" Him also. Our Lord's words in
John 15:25
could not have been more true;
"They hated Me without a cause."
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,
saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My
God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
(Matthew 27:46)
Yes, there was
"darkness over all the land" when God the Father turned
His back upon God the Son because He could not look upon
sin
(Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst
not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them
that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the
wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
- Habakkuk 1:13).
It was your
sins, and my sins, that also nailed His hands and
His feet to that cruel cross. And because sin must be
judged, God's wrath was poured out upon Jesus Christ
when He suffered and bled and died on the cross for our
sins.
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His
own blood He entered in once into the holy place, have
obtained eternal redemption for us" (Hebrews9:12).
Here, another type, "the scapegoat," is fulfilled as our
blessed Saviour bore our sins on Calvary's cross when He
was forsaken of God on our behalf. (Lev.16:10,21,22)
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the
scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to
make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a
scapegoat into the wilderness. - (Leviticus
16:10)
And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the
live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of
the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in
all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat,
and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into
the wilderness: 22 And the goat shall bear upon him all
their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall
let go the goat in the wilderness. - (Leviticus
16:21,22)
This is how God can
now save you from your sins, by faith alone, in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And He will save you from the wrath to
come if you will just believe in Jesus. As the Apostle
Paul explains in his Second Epistle to the
Corinthians:
"For [God] hath made Him
to be sin for us, [Christ] who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in Him -
II
Corinthians 5:21
_________________________
"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus
Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from
this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father."
_________________________
|
A
Letter from a Friend
been revoked".
Joe
knew that this could be a major problem in that he would not be able
to get his work completed without access to area XYZ! However, after
further review of the e-mail, the man quickly discovered that he was
not the intended recipient but instead "copied" or "cc'd" as a
reference only! As it turns out, a collogue of his was the man who lost
his access! Joe, as the superintendent of area XYZ, simply needed to
be aware of this. For a brief moment, Joe confused his TO
mail with his CC mail. Not understanding that distinction for
those brief seconds after reading the message caused severe anxiety for
Joe until he realized the message was indeed TO someone else!
In a much similar example, when
we
read the bible, identifying our TO
mail is very important lest
we make the same fundamental mistake as the person above. Without
understanding the distinction between our "to" mail and our
"cc" or our "reference only" mail, believers inadvertently
"read themselves" into areas of the bible that God did not intend.
The result when this happens: confusion!
(see
