We know that "the weatherman" can predict what the weather will be tonight or tomorrow with "fair" results. However, we have a saying in the state where I grew up, "If you don't like the weather, just wait 15 minutes." Some weather is totally unpredictable.
Satan should have a better chance of predicting "weather" than the weatherman because the Bible says that he is "the prince of the power of the air." But regarding his predictions, he can never do anything against God's children until he first gets permission from God. Reading the first chapter of Job, we see how Satan predicted to wipe out everything Job had, and it all happened through war, fire and a fierce wind. War and fire wiped out his servants and herds. A fierce wind came suddenly from the wilderness and hit all corners of the house where Job's children were and, when it fell, it killed them all. What Satan predicted, he was able to make happen with 100% accuracy, but only as God permitted him to do it.
Though Satan has great power, he has no more power than the great God of heaven gives him permission and ability to do. The wrath of God was NOT against Job and his family, that is not why God gave permission to bring affliction upon Job. Satan wished to test Job so that Job would sin and curse God, and bring dishonor to God. God said okay to Satan. But everything that Satan tried to do, Job resisted the temptations to blame God because he knew God intimately and fully trusted in Him who cares for His children, in the bad times as well as the good.
Because there is so much wickedness in the earth, and because there are so very few who really love God and trust in Jesus to save them from sin, which is transgression of His Law of Ten Commandments, we know God's people will be tested fully for their faith. Evil does not like the good. So this war between Satan and God will increase to the end, in hopes that Satan will destroy all God's people. However, Jesus is coming the second time, and He will deliver His faithful people who have not fallen under the fiercest temptations, and take them to heaven to be forever with Him, while the wicked ones will be destroyed. Read 2 Thessalonians chapters 1 and 2.
Because Satan has a short time, he is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, especially of God's people or any who would want to serve God. Such a time of trouble is ahead of us which will allow Satan to test us to the very utmost just like Job was tested, but God has seen to it that His people are prepared for the trial, and He has promised to let them go through it without seeing death. Before this time, God has given them every opportunity to learn to love and trust in Him fully. Have you been taking advantage of this opportunity, friends?
Before this time of trouble, some of God's faithful people, young and old, will be laid to rest because God knows that they are His, but they are not able to endure the great trials. But those who will be alive, will be those living witnesses of the power of God to be obedient to Him no matter what happens. Do you get easily offended at the slightest irritation? How can you be Christ's witness now, let alone then? Christ will give you victory, but you need to cling to Jesus by His Spirit because no one can trust in themselves alone under temptation. We need to overcome the idea of being irritated at things, and instead, be looking constantly to Jesus who never showed irritation, even in His time of trouble that led to the cross.
Many will be insulted, mocked at, and mistreated for their faith, both now and in the future. We will be looking at the face of death constantly, we will be living martyrs for Jesus. Can we be living martyrs now under easy trials? Very few are living martyrs. Like Peter, do we deny Jesus by the way we live because we don't want to be ridiculed? If someone looks at us the wrong way, making fun of our faithfulness to God, do we want to run and hide?
God will help us be faithful to Him if we are in continual surrender with our whole heart to Him and His revealed will for us. Whatever is keeping you from following the humble Saviour, do not let it hinder you any longer. Do not be afraid to stand for the right though the heavens fall. Pray for the Holy Spirit to dwell in you who will teach you all things which Christ taught which is according to the Bible and bring them to your remembrance during your times of trial. May you be ready for Jesus who is coming, to save His people, and destroy the wicked.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
When Jesus died, where did He go?
Many Christians do not know where Jesus went when He died. Can we know the answer? Yes. It is very simple. The Bible says that: 1.) He expired on the cross, ("gave up the ghost" means He expired, He gave up His breath, and it went back to God: "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit [breath]," (Luke 23:46, Ecclesiastes 12:7). 2.) His body was laid in the grave or tomb of a very wealthy man, Joseph of Arimathaea (Luke 23:50-53).
There are many who think He went to Paradise when He died (misusing Luke 23: 42, 43), but Christ did not, for His body was laid in the tomb and rested there until early on the first day of the week before sunrise (Luke 24:1-8). That very morning, the angel declared that Christ was living, risen, no longer dead, to the surprised ladies. The last time they knew, they had seen Christ laid in the tomb, and they were coming back to finish burying Him. We have the story of how the resurrection took place in Matthew 28:1-4. An angel came and rolled the stone from the tomb, and Christ, taking the graveclothes off, folded them up where He had been (John 20:5-7), and walked out as the Conqueror over all the forces of evil. He was clothed with a bright light even as the angel who announced His resurrection to the women. He did not come from Paradise, only from the tomb, when He raised from the dead. That is why it was said, He is RISEN. Scripture does not say, He DESCENDED.
Christ made known to Mary that He had not yet ascended to His Father in heaven (John 20:11-17). If He had been in heaven in His death, He would not have said that. Though He was going to go to His Father for a while on that very day, to know that His sacrifice had been accepted, He did not stay, He came back. His promise in John 14:1-3 was not yet fulfilled. When He ascended 40 days later, then did He go to prepare a place for us in His Father's house.
Many people believe that Christ's soul went to Hell when He died. The Bible does say that if you read the King James Version (Acts 2:22-36). However, the term "hell" as used here means the "grave." We know that Christ truly went to the grave, but did not stay more than three days. If His body had been dead for four days, it would have stunk or rotted (John 11). But it did not. Christ's body saw no corruption. He was raised on the third day.
Christ as our Saviour from all sin, experienced our death that He might give us His life. He was raised victorious over all evil, including the Devil, and that victory was won for us. All we need to do in the face of temptation, is claim that victory and call upon the Lord Jesus Christ for His grace to overcome. Each time we do this when tempted to sin, Christ will come to our aid, for He will send all the angels of heaven if need be, just as He said He could have done for Himself but chose not to (Matthew 26:52-54).
The same Spirit that raised Christ, will also raise us from the dead at His second coming if we have lived victorious in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord! It is not too late to surrender your life wholeheartedly to Christ, and be willing, even to be made willing, to be led by the Spirit of God into all the truth. Christ promises to give His people who believe the Holy Spirit to teach them the truth. People will come into our lives who will show us the truth regarding God's word, the Bible (John 16, 17).
God bless you!
There are many who think He went to Paradise when He died (misusing Luke 23: 42, 43), but Christ did not, for His body was laid in the tomb and rested there until early on the first day of the week before sunrise (Luke 24:1-8). That very morning, the angel declared that Christ was living, risen, no longer dead, to the surprised ladies. The last time they knew, they had seen Christ laid in the tomb, and they were coming back to finish burying Him. We have the story of how the resurrection took place in Matthew 28:1-4. An angel came and rolled the stone from the tomb, and Christ, taking the graveclothes off, folded them up where He had been (John 20:5-7), and walked out as the Conqueror over all the forces of evil. He was clothed with a bright light even as the angel who announced His resurrection to the women. He did not come from Paradise, only from the tomb, when He raised from the dead. That is why it was said, He is RISEN. Scripture does not say, He DESCENDED.
Christ made known to Mary that He had not yet ascended to His Father in heaven (John 20:11-17). If He had been in heaven in His death, He would not have said that. Though He was going to go to His Father for a while on that very day, to know that His sacrifice had been accepted, He did not stay, He came back. His promise in John 14:1-3 was not yet fulfilled. When He ascended 40 days later, then did He go to prepare a place for us in His Father's house.
Many people believe that Christ's soul went to Hell when He died. The Bible does say that if you read the King James Version (Acts 2:22-36). However, the term "hell" as used here means the "grave." We know that Christ truly went to the grave, but did not stay more than three days. If His body had been dead for four days, it would have stunk or rotted (John 11). But it did not. Christ's body saw no corruption. He was raised on the third day.
Christ as our Saviour from all sin, experienced our death that He might give us His life. He was raised victorious over all evil, including the Devil, and that victory was won for us. All we need to do in the face of temptation, is claim that victory and call upon the Lord Jesus Christ for His grace to overcome. Each time we do this when tempted to sin, Christ will come to our aid, for He will send all the angels of heaven if need be, just as He said He could have done for Himself but chose not to (Matthew 26:52-54).
The same Spirit that raised Christ, will also raise us from the dead at His second coming if we have lived victorious in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord! It is not too late to surrender your life wholeheartedly to Christ, and be willing, even to be made willing, to be led by the Spirit of God into all the truth. Christ promises to give His people who believe the Holy Spirit to teach them the truth. People will come into our lives who will show us the truth regarding God's word, the Bible (John 16, 17).
God bless you!
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Do you believe that Jesus Christ rose from the grave?
Many years ago, I confronted a friend of mine as to whether or not she believed in the resurrection of Jesus. She had to admit that she didn't really care about whether or not Christ rose from the dead, even though she went to church on Sunday, which was a day her church kept in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some people do not know what they believe, and apparently are not concerned about it. Not everyone is that way, thankfully, or there would be no Christians today. Many people think that Jesus died, but did He really raise up from the grave?
John 3:16 is said to express the whole gospel message: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But notice that this verse does not specifically say that Christ died for sinners. You must read also verses 14 and 15, which also says "so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 12:32, 33 implies that to lift up Jesus, means that He should die by being lifted up on the cross. But is Jesus perished forever in the tomb where He was laid? NO! He was also raised from the dead, and it is important that we believe that. Why?
Even though Christ died for all, yet if there were no resurrection from the dead, then we above all people in the world would be most miserable and without any hope for the future, and we would certainly perish. Christ would still be in the grave. We would perish contrary to John 3:16 because there would be no one to raise us from the dead. But we see that Christ must be raised from the dead!
1 Corinthians 15:16-18 "For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." But John 3:16 says that those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall not perish, in other words, they will be raised from the dead, also. We have a true hope in Jesus Christ. It is important that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. But unless He be raised from the dead also, Christ's death would be meaningless. So both the death of Jesus for sin [dying for our guilt so we can be set free from the condemnation of our sins through faith in Him] is just as important as His resurrection so that He might bring us to life eternal through faith in Him. If we be not raised from the dead, then all is meaningless!
John 12:24 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Christ's death was not all. It was not wasted. He bodily raised from the tomb so that He could bring about a rich harvest of souls who believe unto salvation. When you plant a kernel of wheat into the ground, you expect that it will sprout and produce more wheat. The tiny wet grave you planted the seed in can not keep the seed from sprouting. Equally, Christ's grave had no power to keep Him, He raised the third day to give us life! He is verily the bread of life! If we die, believing in Him unto salvation from our sins, we will live with Him at the second coming! The grave will not be able to hold us, either.
Romans 8:32, 34 says, "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?....Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." From this text, we can see the importance of Christ's death but only in connection with His resurrection and High Priestly ministry for us in the courts of heaven.
Romans 14:8, 9 "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." Here again, the importance of connecting the resurrection of Christ with His death, makes His death meaningful to us. It gives us the hope of the resurrection to eternal life, that this life is not all there is.
It is true, that the world which does not accept Christ's death cannot have a part in the resurrection to life eternal. So His death for our sin is of utmost importance in the plan of salvation. We must believe that He died for us, but we must also believe that He rose again, that the grave could not hold Him. The hope of eternal life is held out to those only who believe unto salvation in His death and resurrection and High Priestly ministry.
While Jesus died on the cross for us and rose to new life, we cannot sit idly by thinking that there is nothing we should do in this life because we think that Christ did it all for us on the cross. That is foolishness. Unless we choose Him above all else, we cannot have life. We must believe. We must act on that belief, and follow Him, letting His righteousness which He gives us, be our banner and manner of life.
Romans 12:1, 2: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Galatians 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Christ cannot live in us unless He were the living Christ. Praise the Lord, we serve a living Saviour and we have the sure promise of eternal life through Him!
John 3:16 is said to express the whole gospel message: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But notice that this verse does not specifically say that Christ died for sinners. You must read also verses 14 and 15, which also says "so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 12:32, 33 implies that to lift up Jesus, means that He should die by being lifted up on the cross. But is Jesus perished forever in the tomb where He was laid? NO! He was also raised from the dead, and it is important that we believe that. Why?
Even though Christ died for all, yet if there were no resurrection from the dead, then we above all people in the world would be most miserable and without any hope for the future, and we would certainly perish. Christ would still be in the grave. We would perish contrary to John 3:16 because there would be no one to raise us from the dead. But we see that Christ must be raised from the dead!
1 Corinthians 15:16-18 "For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." But John 3:16 says that those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall not perish, in other words, they will be raised from the dead, also. We have a true hope in Jesus Christ. It is important that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. But unless He be raised from the dead also, Christ's death would be meaningless. So both the death of Jesus for sin [dying for our guilt so we can be set free from the condemnation of our sins through faith in Him] is just as important as His resurrection so that He might bring us to life eternal through faith in Him. If we be not raised from the dead, then all is meaningless!
John 12:24 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Christ's death was not all. It was not wasted. He bodily raised from the tomb so that He could bring about a rich harvest of souls who believe unto salvation. When you plant a kernel of wheat into the ground, you expect that it will sprout and produce more wheat. The tiny wet grave you planted the seed in can not keep the seed from sprouting. Equally, Christ's grave had no power to keep Him, He raised the third day to give us life! He is verily the bread of life! If we die, believing in Him unto salvation from our sins, we will live with Him at the second coming! The grave will not be able to hold us, either.
Romans 8:32, 34 says, "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?....Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." From this text, we can see the importance of Christ's death but only in connection with His resurrection and High Priestly ministry for us in the courts of heaven.
Romans 14:8, 9 "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." Here again, the importance of connecting the resurrection of Christ with His death, makes His death meaningful to us. It gives us the hope of the resurrection to eternal life, that this life is not all there is.
It is true, that the world which does not accept Christ's death cannot have a part in the resurrection to life eternal. So His death for our sin is of utmost importance in the plan of salvation. We must believe that He died for us, but we must also believe that He rose again, that the grave could not hold Him. The hope of eternal life is held out to those only who believe unto salvation in His death and resurrection and High Priestly ministry.
While Jesus died on the cross for us and rose to new life, we cannot sit idly by thinking that there is nothing we should do in this life because we think that Christ did it all for us on the cross. That is foolishness. Unless we choose Him above all else, we cannot have life. We must believe. We must act on that belief, and follow Him, letting His righteousness which He gives us, be our banner and manner of life.
Romans 12:1, 2: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Galatians 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Christ cannot live in us unless He were the living Christ. Praise the Lord, we serve a living Saviour and we have the sure promise of eternal life through Him!
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Igniting the Fire of the Sabbath Truth of Jesus Christ
I believe that Christ kept all the Commandments of God, because the Bible says that He did no sin (Heb. 4:15), even though He came in the likeness of our sinful flesh, the God/man, our human-Divine Mediator (Romans 8:3). He set the example for us in our humanity as to how we are to live--to reflect His character, even as He reflected the character of the Father. We can only reflect, we cannot be the source as He and the Father are.
Therefore, I believe that Jesus Christ did keep the Sabbath fully as humanity must keep it, as well as the other nine commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). He had the Spirit of the Law, and if you have the Spirit of the Law, you will also have the works of the Law. Many people have the works and no spirit, and we cannot be saved by the works of the Law. And what good is the Spirit of the Law unless we practice what we believe to be true? We must be born again (John 3:3), following the Spirit and not the carnal flesh (Romans 8). Christ did the works of the Law, but that was because He was full of the Holy Spirit, and He loved the Law of God, and it was seen to be written in His heart. (Psalm 40:8.)
Therefore, Christ fulfilled His own and the Father's Ten Commandment Law, as well as the biblical statutes and judgments which explain the Law, living it fully and joyfully, showing that sinful humanity when connected to divinity by FAITH in Christ their Saviour, can keep the Law of God. Although He was perfect in how He lived, we can only strive towards perfection as we trust Him. He also fulfilled the ceremonial system, not that we are to keep it, no! but that He might show us its purpose and meaning which foreshadowed His work of saving us from sin. He is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He was slain from the foundation of the world via the symbolism of the sacrificial system, and now memorialized in the Communion Service (Revelation 13:8). He was sacrificed once for us, bringing an end to the sacrificial system, for that was only a shadow of the reality of who He was, Jesus Christ, the offering for our sins (Colossians 2:14-17). The yearly feast days, the yearly feast sabbaths (not seventh-day Sabbaths) and sacrifices and offerings for sin were no longer necessary, for they all pointed forward to Christ, the true Sacrifice.
The weekly Sabbath is the memorial of our Creator, and identifies Him and His position: the Lord God who made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that in them is, in six days and rested the seventh day (Exodus 20:8-11). The weekly Sabbath is also a memorial of His creative power to make us new Creatures in Him. He was the Redeemer who brought us out of Egypt, out of slavery to sin (Exodus 20:1-3) So it memorializes that He is the one who is sanctifying us, making us holy and victorious over sin. 'We cannot overcome sin without Him. The Sabbath is His sign to His true people who have the Law written in their hearts, that He is the Lord who is sanctifying them. See Exodus 31:12-17 and Ezekiel 20:12, 20, etc. The Sabbath therefore is the sign of the New Covenant. (Hebrews 8:8-12). It surpasses Sunday which is entirely a man-made holiday established by the papacy, not being commanded by God in the Bible at all. The Lord's Day of the Bible is only found to be the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. Unfortunately one has to go to the traditions of the so-called early Church Fathers (who are not inspired of God) to find reason to make Sunday the Lord's Day. I praise the Lord for His truth and creative power to work in us through the Holy Spirit, and that the Bible teaches us the truth!
I hope these biblical truths will catch like wildfire, to God's glory.
Therefore, I believe that Jesus Christ did keep the Sabbath fully as humanity must keep it, as well as the other nine commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). He had the Spirit of the Law, and if you have the Spirit of the Law, you will also have the works of the Law. Many people have the works and no spirit, and we cannot be saved by the works of the Law. And what good is the Spirit of the Law unless we practice what we believe to be true? We must be born again (John 3:3), following the Spirit and not the carnal flesh (Romans 8). Christ did the works of the Law, but that was because He was full of the Holy Spirit, and He loved the Law of God, and it was seen to be written in His heart. (Psalm 40:8.)
Therefore, Christ fulfilled His own and the Father's Ten Commandment Law, as well as the biblical statutes and judgments which explain the Law, living it fully and joyfully, showing that sinful humanity when connected to divinity by FAITH in Christ their Saviour, can keep the Law of God. Although He was perfect in how He lived, we can only strive towards perfection as we trust Him. He also fulfilled the ceremonial system, not that we are to keep it, no! but that He might show us its purpose and meaning which foreshadowed His work of saving us from sin. He is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He was slain from the foundation of the world via the symbolism of the sacrificial system, and now memorialized in the Communion Service (Revelation 13:8). He was sacrificed once for us, bringing an end to the sacrificial system, for that was only a shadow of the reality of who He was, Jesus Christ, the offering for our sins (Colossians 2:14-17). The yearly feast days, the yearly feast sabbaths (not seventh-day Sabbaths) and sacrifices and offerings for sin were no longer necessary, for they all pointed forward to Christ, the true Sacrifice.
The weekly Sabbath is the memorial of our Creator, and identifies Him and His position: the Lord God who made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that in them is, in six days and rested the seventh day (Exodus 20:8-11). The weekly Sabbath is also a memorial of His creative power to make us new Creatures in Him. He was the Redeemer who brought us out of Egypt, out of slavery to sin (Exodus 20:1-3) So it memorializes that He is the one who is sanctifying us, making us holy and victorious over sin. 'We cannot overcome sin without Him. The Sabbath is His sign to His true people who have the Law written in their hearts, that He is the Lord who is sanctifying them. See Exodus 31:12-17 and Ezekiel 20:12, 20, etc. The Sabbath therefore is the sign of the New Covenant. (Hebrews 8:8-12). It surpasses Sunday which is entirely a man-made holiday established by the papacy, not being commanded by God in the Bible at all. The Lord's Day of the Bible is only found to be the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. Unfortunately one has to go to the traditions of the so-called early Church Fathers (who are not inspired of God) to find reason to make Sunday the Lord's Day. I praise the Lord for His truth and creative power to work in us through the Holy Spirit, and that the Bible teaches us the truth!
I hope these biblical truths will catch like wildfire, to God's glory.
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