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Need2Know
 Posted:
Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:40 am |
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bamuda wrote:
...You either accept with blind faith or choose to scoff with skepticism.
It is your choice and you will find no conflict with me on your choices.
Call me a nutter and do what makes you feel fulfilled.
We will all die one day ... in some way and until then,
we will just have to agree to disagree.
No disagreements here my sister! 
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:22 pm |
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Death is not the end of human existence. The Bible states that it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that comes the judgment. After the judgment every person will find themselves forever in heaven or in hell. Your eternal destiny will be determined by whether or not you believe the claims of Jesus Christ.
In John 12:44 we read, "Jesus cried and said, 'He that believes on Me, believes not on Me, but on Him that sent Me. He that sees Me, sees Him that sent Me. I am come as a light into the world, that whosoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. If any man hears my words and believes not, I judge him not, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. Whoever rejects Me and receives not My words has one that judges him; the word that I have spoken shall judge him in that last day. For I have not spoken of Myself, but the Father which sent Me, He commanded Me what I should say and what I should speak. I know that His commandment is life everlasting. I speak whatever the Father said unto Me to speak.'"
Let's look at the radical claims that Jesus has made concerning Himself in these few verses.
He said believing upon Him was equivalent to believing the One who sent Him, or upon the Father. Over and over, He avowed that God sent Him.
To believe on Him was equivalent to believing in God.
He said to see Him was the same as seeing God.
He claimed to come as a light into the world.
Those who believe in Him do not abide in darkness.
He stated that He came to save the world.
He claimed that those who do not believe in Him will be judged by the word that He has spoken.
He claimed that His teaching did not originate with Him, but that He spoke the words that the Father commanded Him to speak.
He declared that His words are life everlasting.
These are the claims of Jesus. There is no denying the fact that they are quite radical. The extreme nature of Jesus statements concerning Himself presents every person with a choice to be made. We must either accept or reject His claims. We must either believe or disbelieve Him. It is not an option to simply ignore or try to evade such radical statements. What Jesus said demands that we form an opinion, and our opinion will ultimately fall into one of two camps. He was either telling the truth or He was lying. He was either the Son of God and the greatest person who ever lived or He was a deceiver and a fraud. You may be more kind and say, "I believe that perhaps He believed those things, but He was deluded and if He were living today, He would probably be institutionalized." But the issue remains, are His claims true or false? Jesus is who He claimed to be, or He isn't.
In the New Testament, we read of many signs that Jesus did to substantiate the claims that He was making. In the fourteenth chapter of John, Jesus reiterates some of these things that He has claimed here, but also adds a few more such as, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man can come to the Father except through Me."; "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father"; and "Believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else believe for the very works sake." In other words, Jesus not only claimed to be God in human flesh, the perfect source of truth and the One who grants eternal life, but offered conclusive proof through the miraculous deeds or "works" He was doing. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said that John the Baptist bore witness of Him, but that there was a greater witness than that of John. This greater witness was the works that the Father had given Him to do. Among these authenticating signs was Jesus' power over the elements. He turned the water into wine, He walked on the water, and He calmed a raging storm by His word. He showed His power over disease for He healed the suffering with a touch. He cleansed those with leprosy. He caused the lame to walk, opened the eyes of the blind and even raised the dead. He called upon these works to verify that His teaching was true.
At another time when huge crowds had gathered around Him, Jesus said, "A faithless and perverse generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given, except that of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Thus His resurrection would constitute the basic sign to an unbelieving world, that He was all that He claimed to be.
When Jesus cleansed the temple of the money changers, He was asked by the Jews for a sign of authority to do what He had done. His response was, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will rebuild it." John tells us that He was referring to His own body as a temple thus the resurrection from the grave three days after His death.
In Acts 1:3 we read that Jesus showed Himself alive after His death by "many infallible proofs." The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is one of the most factually verifiable events in history. It is confirmed by the testimony of many eyewitnesses such as Mary, Peter, the other Apostles and more than five hundred people at one time. If there is any validity to our system of jurisprudence, which establishes fact on the basis of eyewitness testimony, then the resurrection must be accepted as fact. "But," you may argue, "there was no cross examination of the witnesses!" Are you certain of that? Let it be noted that the vast majority of these witnesses were violently killed for their testimony, and none recanted, though doing so could have spared their lives. (For more information see Foxe's Book of Martyrs) So many gave their lives for what they had seen and heard that the Greek word "martus" (which meant one who bore legal testimony) came to mean those who suffered death for the Christian witness.
But along with His miraculous works and His historical resurrection from the dead, we have to also take into consideration the multiplied prophecies concerning the Messiah that Jesus fulfilled. Throughout the Old Testament, there were more than three hundred predictions concerning the Messiah that were fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ. What would be the odds of one person fulfilling those prophecies by chance? The number is so astronomical, that it puts chance out of the picture. In his book Science Speaks [1], Peter Stoner estimates the odds of one person fulfilling just eight of these Messianic prophecies as being one in ten to the seventeenth power. How overwhelming is this probability? Stoner illustrates this by "supposing that we take ten to the seventeenth power silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them come true in any one man, from their day to the present time. It is clear that chance had nothing to do with the fulfillment of these three hundred predictions. It is also important to note that the design spelled out in prophecy was far beyond any one person's ability to control. From the place of the Messiah's birth to the amount of money offered for His betrayal, we find factors that were out of any person's ability to arrange. Jesus could not by chance or by His own personal effort have fulfilled those three hundred predictions. It had to be by God's design.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:38 am |
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One of the unfortunate by-products of our urbanized society with its resultant air pollution and bright lights is that we cannot see the heavens very clearly anymore. I think that everyone who lives in an urban area should get away to the desert or mountains two or three times a year to look up and be reminded of the glory of heaven. Unfortunately, we forget about the vastness of the universe when we don't see it fully. We begin to think of this world as being closed-in, but when we look at the heavens, we can realize how great the creation of God is!
The Bible declares that the glory of God is greater than the heavens themselves. The psalmist David said,
O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens... When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? (Psalm 8:1,3-4).
The sun, the work of God's fingers, is 860,000 miles in diameter. It is so large that 1,200,000 Earths our size could be placed in it. Traveling at 11 1/2 miles per second through space, the sun was flung out by God's hand.
Many stars, because of the density of their atoms, weigh much more than the sun. One of the dual stars of Sirius has such a high density, the number of atoms in a given volume, that one cubic inch weighs 1,725 pounds! Imagine what would happen if a rock-sized meteor from Sirius was laying on the ground in your path and you decided to kick it out of the way. Yet, as heavy as that star is, God has also spun it into orbit.
Our sun is one of the billions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. This galaxy measures about 10,000 light years wide and 100,000 light years long. In other words, if you could travel on a beam of light at a speed of 186,000 miles per second, you could circle the earth 7 1/2 times in just one second. Then, leaving the Earth at this speed, you could sail past the moon in 1 1/4 seconds and past the sun in 7 1/2 minutes. However, it would take you about 4 1/2 years to reach the nearest star, Alpha Centauri. To cross the width of the Milky Way Galaxy would take you 10,000 years and to cross the length would take you 100,000 years. If you then wanted to go to the nearest galaxy, Andromeda, you'd have to travel at the speed of light for 1 1/2 million years!
This vast universe contains billions of galaxies, one of which is the Milky Way Galaxy. In this galaxy there are billions of stars, and one of these stars we called the sun. Revolving around this star are the nine planets of the Solar System, one of which is called Earth. This planet is 7,926.7 miles in diameter at the equator, revolving around the sun at 19 miles per second, rotating on its axis at 1,000 miles per hour, traveling with the sun in its giant orbit at 11 1/2 miles per second, and (as some astronomers theorize) traveling at approximately 179 miles per second with the Milky Way. Imagine, as we just sit here, all these motions are going on!
If you have ever spun a top, you know that it can spin for a long time, but ultimately it slows down and stops. I don't know how the Lord started the planet Earth spinning, but I do know He keeps it spinning - and it's not slowing down! God has ordained it and set it all in motion.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man that thou art mindful of him?
This little planet Earth, as a part of a group of planets revolving around the sun, a part of a galaxy called the Milky Way, which is only one of billions of galaxies, contains billions of living creatures. Among these billions of living creatures is our species called man, of which there are almost four billion.
God wants to bless you. Open your heart and receive His love!
It must have blown the mind of David when he realized that God's glory is greater than the heavens! He states,
O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who has set thy glory above the heavens.
Then David added, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?"
God is mindful of this little creature called man on this little planet. Earth is in this little Solar System, part of the Milky Way Galaxy, a part of this vast universe, all of which is a work of His fingers. The fact that God is mindful of me just amazes me! The Creator of this universe is conscious and mindful of me, His creation, here on this planet!
"What is man?" First of all, he is body. But the body elements aren't worth very much. With inflation, they are now probably worth about $2.26 in raw chemicals. Earlier, I made reference to the fact that the density of matter is determined by the atoms per unit volume. Our bodies are made up of atoms which have a nucleus of protons and neutrons with tiny electrons whirling around it. If you could stop these electrons from whirling, they would draw into the center of the mass of the nucleus. If all the atoms in your body collapsed like this, you would immediately disappear. There is so much empty space in these atoms that you'd be smaller than a speck of dust; in fact, it would take a microscope to see you. All of us are made up of these blown-up atoms.
However, the Bible teaches that man is more than body. It teaches that man is a soul and a spirit. The body is called a "tent" in the Scriptures, because it is the temporary dwelling place of the spirit. Paul the apostle said,
For we know that if our earthly tent were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (II Corinthians 5:1).
When these tents in which we're now living return to the dust from which they were made, by the grace of God, our spirits move out. God then has another place of habitation for our spirits - not tents but houses.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
God isn't mindful of me in some abstract way, He's mindful of me in a personal way. He knows when I get up in the morning and go to bed at night. He knows when some sound awakens me in the middle of the night. He who knows my thoughts, and also understands my dusty frame (Psalm 103:14); and yet, knowing my weaknesses and my failings, He still loves me!
Sometimes, Satan lays a trip on us. He tells us that once we have made a mistake or failed, or because we may continually fail, God wants nothing to do with us. Satan would have us believe that God is no longer interested in us. But God knows our frames, that we are but dust. God also knows our hearts, and the real intentions of our hearts and lives.
When you have a little child who is just learning to walk, you let the child grasp on to your fingers and steady him as he walks. Then, when you feel that he's steady enough, you let go of his fingers. The child may really be attempting to take that first step, but he may fall right away, because he isn't coordinated enough to walk yet. When this happens, you don't pick him up and scold him, saying, "You rotten little kid! Why don't you walk?" You don't punish him for falling. You grab him and hold him close. You encourage him, saying, "That's okay, angel. Let's try again." You assure him of your love.
As long as the child is trying, you continue to encourage him and love him. Even though he may fail a hundred times, you don't toss the child out. You don't get rid of him just because he has failed. In the same way, God knows when you're trying; and, if you do fail, God doesn't discard you and say, "Oh, I get so sick of you!" He picks you up and holds you close, then dusts you off and says, "Come on now, let's try again."
On the other hand, you may have a teenager sitting in the room. If you say, "Come over here. I want to show you something," and he replies, "No, I don't want to, and you can't make me," you may want to pop his head off because he's being rebellious. There's a difference of attitude between the baby and the teenager. One is an attitude of weakness: wanting to do something but not being able to, the other is an attitude of rebellion: having the ability to do something and not wanting to. If you want to serve God but lack the ability, don't be afraid that God is going to be angry at you! God loves you! He knows your frame. He knows how uncoordinated you are spiritually. God looks upon us with love because we're His children. As a father pities his child who is learning to walk, so our heavenly Father looks upon us, His children, with pity.
However, if we're in open rebellion against God, saying, "I don't want to do it! I won't do it! You can't make me do it!" He may prove to us that He can make us do it, just as a father may prove to his teenage son that he can make him come across the room.
"What is man?" Generally, man is a rebellious little creature. He's down here on this little planet, shaking his fist at his Creator and saying, "I don't want to follow Your rules! I'll live just as I please! You can't make me live the way You want me to! I'll do what I want!" This is man, a little speck of dust, shaking his dusty fist at the Creator of the universe. How foolish it is to rebel against the Creator!
"What is man that thou art mindful of him?" The question is unanswerable. But God is not only mindful of me, He came to visit me: "And the son of man, that thou visitest him." The Gospel of John begins:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made... He was in the world, and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name... And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,(and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-3,10-12,14).
God's visiting man is a marvelous mystery, but the blindness of man's rebellion is a tragedy. Rebellion will always blind you. It is always folly to be in rebellion against God. Here is little man rebelling against his Creator. His Creator came to visit him, but man didn't even recognize Him. Even though the world was made by Him, the world knew Him not.
Psalm 8 continues in prophecy of Jesus Christ and His visit to Earth.
For Thou has made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet.
In Hebrews 2:8 this Psalm is quoted in reference to Jesus Christ. God has placed all things in subjection unto Jesus Christ, giving Him the authority over all of His created work. However, at the end of this passage the writer of Hebrews declares, "But now we do not yet see all things put under him."
The heavens do declare the glory of God... but only Jesus Christ declares the fullness of God's love for man.
As we look around in the world today, we do not see everything in subjection to Jesus Christ. In fact, we see a world in rebellion against His authority. Even as Christians, our flesh sometimes rebels against Him, but there is coming a day when God shall place all authority in Jesus Christ. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10). We do not yet see all things in subjection,
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor (Hebrews 2:9).
May God help us to see beyond the rebellion around us and beyond the rebellion of our own flesh, and may we, this day, see Jesus! May we, this day, crown Him with many crowns, the Lord upon His throne. May we, this day, submit ourselves to His authority and to His will. May we bow our knee to His scepter and worship at His feet. May we enter into the glories of the kingdom of God by submitting ourselves to Jesus Christ, the King. May we see Jesus and, when we do, may we say with David, "O Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! who has set Thy glory above the heaven" (Psalm 8:1).
What is man that God would think of him? Yet He did. What is man that God should redeem him? Yet He has. What is man that God should want him? Yet He does. What is man that God should save him and make him His own throughout eternity? Yet He has!
The question we should be asking is not, "What is man?" but, "What is God?" He is infinite grace, infinite love, infinite goodness.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| MyContentions
Posted:
Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:43 pm |
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Is there any actual religious discussion on this thread anymore or just reprinted sermons?
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** Banned **
Joined: 15 May 2006
Posts: 312
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:40 pm |
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Hi MC - how goes it?
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Fri Oct 27, 2006 8:36 am |
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God's Refining Process
Because the Jewish nation had forsaken the covenant of the Lord, walked in its own path, and would not harken to the Lord's voice - God proclaimed, through Jeremiah the prophet, the judgments to come against Judah. Jeremiah then turned to the Gentiles and prophesied the judgments to come against their nations.
Jeremiah 48 tells us that destructions are determined upon the Gentile nation of Moab. Its cities were to be made desolate. Its armies would be slaughtered and destroyed. Verse 11 tells us why:
Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees. and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither had he gone into captivity; therefore, his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
1. Change
One thing that you must declare concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ: it changes people. What you were before you met Christ is not what you are after you have met Him. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Corinthians 5:17).
There is something radically wrong with the person who claims to know Jesus Christ and has not had any changes in his life - who still walks after and according to the things of the flesh and minds the things of the flesh - because Jesus Christ will change your life. You cannot be the same person after you have met Him if you have truly experienced His power in your life.
One of the sad testimonies of the Church is that many of the people who attend church, take the name of Christian, and say their prayers faithfully have never had the change in their lives that Christ effects in a man.
The basic difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that the non-Christian is ruled by his flesh and by his fleshly desires. In talking about our pre-Christ experience, Paul the Apostle said:
In times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works among the children of disobedience; among whom also we all had our manner of life in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh (Ephesians 2:2-3).
A person who hasn't met Jesus Christ is a person whose life is dominated by his flesh and fleshly desires. A person who has come to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is a person who knows and acknowledges the supremacy of the Holy Spirit and lives according to the Spirit. The Bible tells us, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14).
It's possible to call Jesus "Lord." It's possible to have all the religious vernacular, go to church, sit and listen to the messages, but never be touched in the deeper area of your life. You may have the head knowledge. You may have the spiritual jargon down pat. But if it hasn't come into the area of your life where it affects your will - your religion is vain.
God's refining process is based on love! He won't let us stay settled in the dregs of the flesh. He has something better for us than the empty, fruitless life we often seek.
If you're not being led by the Spirit of God, you're not a son of God. You're still mastered and dominated by your flesh and still living after the flesh. The Bible declares that the mind of the flesh is sin and death, but the mind of the Spirit is life, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 8:6).
You can't go out all week sowing wild oats, then come to church on Sunday and pray that they'll never grow. "Oh, God, kill all the seeds I've sowed this week! Don't let them grow." That can't happen. "Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). If you're living to the flesh and sowing to the flesh, of the flesh you're going to reap corruption.
Jesus was crucified for making this declaration. He asserted the supremacy of the spiritual over the material. The people couldn't handle it, and they finally put Him to death. Yet it's true. When Jesus Christ comes into your life He changes you from the old flesh-ruled life to the Spirit-ruled life.
Jesus said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself" (Matthew 16:24). That's the very first step. You've got to deny the old life, the old flesh, the desires of the flesh. Deny "himself" is the very first thing. Many people have come to Jesus Christ in theory, but they haven't yet come to Him in practice. They're saying, "Lord, Lord," but they're not obedient to the will of the Father.
2. Purification
The second thing the Gospel of Jesus Christ does to a person is purification. The Bible says that we are pure even as He is pure (I John 3:3). God is going to work in your life to purify you. God wants to bring you into purity. This purifying work is explained in Jeremiah 48:11, where he is describing the process by which wine is made. Jeremiah said that Moab had been at ease from his youth, had settled on his lees, and had never been poured from vessel to vessel. This was his problem. Moab had never been disturbed.
When they were making wine, the people would pour the juice into a vessel. They would allow it to set in that vessel until it fermented. The sediment, known as lees or dregs, would settle to the bottom of the vessel. Once the dregs settled, they would carefully pour the wine out of that vessel into another vessel, so that the settling process might again take place. As the dregs sank to the bottom, the wine makers would pour the liquid back into another vessel. Back and forth from vessel to vessel, each time being careful not to pour out the dregs. They were coming to a pure, clear product of the vine. This was their method of making excellent wine.
If the people didn't pour the wine from vessel to vessel but allowed it to set too long in the collected dregs, the fermented juice would begin to develop the taste of the dregs. The wine would become bitter. Then it would begin to get the smell of the dregs, a rotten smell. It would also begin to take on the color of the dregs. It's tragic when Christians get settled in the things of the flesh, the flesh walk, the flesh life. At one time in their Christian walks they were shocked that people could do such evil things of the flesh. They'd say, "I would never do that!" After a while, you find them doing the same things and becoming settled in them.
This impurity actually begins to permeate your whole life. Your life begins to be colored by the flesh. Your life begins to smell of the things of the flesh. Your life begins to just taste of the things of the flesh. Rather than bringing spiritual refreshment, all you're talking about is the latest chatter of what's happening here, what's happening there, this new movie, that new fashion. Your mind is caught up in the things of the flesh. In reality, you become no more than a heathen. Jesus said that you shouldn't be taking thought about what to eat, what to drink, or what to wear. He said, "For after all these things do the Gentiles [the heathen] seek" (Matthew 6:31-32).
If your life gets caught up in that trip - what shall we eat, what shall we wear, what new thing to buy, always interested in the adornment of your body, buying clothes and keeping up with the fashions, or always in the eating and drinking crowd, seeking to delight yourself in the fancy foods, a gourmet - you're no better off than the heathen. These things occupy their minds. They live after the flesh.
It's tragic when Christians settle down in these kinds of dregs so much that their lives are colored by it. You can't have a spiritual conversation with them. They're so interested in some new thing they purchased last week - "Wait till you see it!" It's all a flesh trip. Settling in the dregs of the flesh, they are colored, they are scented, they are tasting of the things of the flesh. It is a flesh life, not the life of the Spirit. God wants to purify us. God wants to clean out those dregs. God has something better for you than that empty, fruitless life of the flesh. You need to experience the purifying effect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
It's tragic that many people who have spent their entire lives in church or under its influence, attending very regularly, are still spiritually "babes in Christ." Paul calls them "carnal" (I Corinthians 3:1-4). They've never developed in their spiritual walk. They've been at ease. They've settled into the dregs. They haven't been poured from vessel to vessel.
3. Deliverance
The third thing the Gospel of Jesus Christ does is deliverance. The power of Jesus Christ can set you free from the power of the flesh. Some of you today have become slaves to your fleshly desires. It's amazing what a strong grip and hold it can get on your life. The very first time you tried it, it was just for a kick. You were just searching for a little diversion.
We have many people in our church who are alcoholics. How little did they realize the power it would get on their lives, the grip it would hold over them. Thank God they know. They know better than to take again that first drink. They've experienced the delivering power of Jesus Christ. Having been delivered from the entanglements of the world, don't be so foolish as to go back and be entangled again with that yoke of bondage.
Unless we're poured from vessel to vessel, our lives begin to "smell" of the things which we have settled into!
We have many drug addicts. Maybe the first time they took a pill was to ease the appetite a bit. Maybe it was to alleviate some pain or to calm their nerves. But the drug began to get a hold of them until, finally, they came under the power of that substance, unable to free themselves. They found themselves bound in that drug. How little did so many realize, when they took that first fix, the hell it was leading them into.
They know now. Thank God for the power of Jesus Christ to deliver us from the bondage of corruption in which we found ourselves through our own folly and foolishness. The power of Jesus Christ can and does deliver man from the bondage of sin and death.
Today, maybe you find yourself entangled in a situation where you never thought you'd be. Maybe today you find yourself caught up in an adulterous situation. It started off so innocently, just as a little flirtation. Now, you're all involved. You never intended to be, but you opened the door to the flesh, and it took over. Now that situation is mastering your life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ can set you free. He can deliver you. Maybe you're hooked on drugs, or maybe you can't stop drinking. You've come to the place where you need that shot when you get home in the evening. Then, worse, you need it when you get up in the morning.
Maybe you have been bound by some desire or lust that has overwhelmed you and made you its victim. Moab was in this sad condition, because it had been at ease. Moab never had any problem, never was in captivity, never knew what it was all about. It grew up rather sheltered and protected. It settled into this condition as a result of no waves, no stirring. Moab had never been poured from vessel to vessel.
But, you know, God loves you. If you come to that place in your Christian experience where you start to relax and settle down into the dregs of the flesh, God's love won't allow you to get by with it. God will upset your position. Maybe someone who is very dear to us, someone we've come to rely upon, is suddenly taken away. "Oh, God, why is he gone? What are you doing, Lord?" He's now pouring you from vessel to vessel.
Maybe the boss suddenly says, "Hey, we're going to transfer you to Spokane."
"Spokane?" you say. "I don't know anybody in Spokane! All my friends are here. My children are in school here." A total uprooting - new friends, new associates, new environment, new schools. You cry out, "What are you doing God?" He's causing you to trust and rely upon Him. God is going to strip you of whatever has created your ease. Maybe it's your retirement, maybe it's your possessions, maybe it's your bank account. You've settled at ease in these things, your lees. But God doesn't want you to be dominated by your flesh. God will deliver you from the bondage of corruption.
God uses disturbances. They are the tools of God to bring us to Himself, to take away our trust and our reliance in other things. He doesn't want us to have job security, social security or security in man, government, bank accounts, or ourselves. He wants us to find our total security in Him. And so He pours us from vessel to vessel.
"For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6).
Maybe this knowledge has disturbed some of you. Praise the Lord! You see, He wants to shake you up from that little smugness and ease in the flesh that you've fallen into, the trap of trying to find the answer in the things of the flesh.
We have been created for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11). He can't enjoy us when we smell of the flesh. He can't enjoy us when we taste of the flesh. It is only as we walk in the Spirit, as we live in the Spirit, as we move in the Spirit, that we become what God would have us be - a pure product that He can enjoy.
A Time of Change
You go to work. The foreman walks up to you and says, "I don't know what's wrong, but here's your termination notice." You think, "Termination? What do you mean 'termination'? I've got house payments, car payments, and television payments. What do you mean termination? Oh, God! What are You doing?"
He's got you're attention now. He's pouring you from vessel to vessel. You see, you began to rely on and find security in your job. You were settling down into the dregs. You weren't walking after the Lord. You weren't searching after the Spirit.
God doesn't want you to smell of the flesh. So, God pours you into another vessel. God will not let you get entangled in the things of the flesh. If you start doing it, if you start meddling, if you start giving over to the things of the flesh, your day is coming. God is going to pour you from vessel to vessel to purify you.
And, suddenly, there you are. You're brought into a new relationship with God - being refined and purified through these disturbances that He brings into our lives.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| frazerclan
Posted:
Sat Oct 28, 2006 6:03 am |
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Bamuda, I just read your post in reply to mine. Thank you for taking the time to do so.
I don't think that you are a nutter. I do think that your belief is irrational but then that is one of the definitions of faith. And it doesn't mean that I consider you irrational in other areas.
I am not really into debating religion but I do like to ask questions of believers to see what they answer. Religion does seem to be a very appropriate tragedy and death avoidence strategy for many. My questioning allows me to broaden my understanding of other people and expands my outlook. Pretty selfish, I know.
I also am a believer. Certainly not in an all-powerful and merciful creator but in the inate goodness and unlimited potential of human beings. You don't have to be a Christian or a believer in another religion to have meaning in your life and to treat people with respect and to live your life in a caring and selfless way (most of the time).
I do not have a problem with knowing that when I die I will cease to exist except through the DNA I have passed to my offspring. Even then, if my DNA does not contribute to the continued survival of our species, it also will cease to exist.
As my father said to me many years ago, 'There is only one certainty in life - you will never get out of it alive!'
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** Timeout **
Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Posts: 1595
Location: Oz
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:28 pm |
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Our Heavenly Home
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:1-2 NKJV)
It really doesn't get any better than this. After all is said and done, the final prophecies in Scripture concern our heavenly home. This is where you and I will spend all eternity, and its best if we just allow God's Word to speak for itself when it comes to this wonder that awaits us:
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.' (Revelation 21:3-4 NKJV)
I take notice that heaven will be wonderful by virtue of the things that are absent and the things that are present. In heaven there will be an absence of tears, death, sorrow, crying, pain, and the things of the past. If that's all we had to look forward to in heaven, it would still be a place we would all long for. But what makes heaven truly heavenly is the presence of our great God. The Bible tells us that He will dwell with us there forever and we'll never know the slightest sense of separation from Him.
Does this seem fanciful and distant to you? Is it hard to wrap your heart around this and embrace it as reality? Remember, heaven is just as much a part of God's prophetic picture as any past prophecy that has been fulfilled. From God's perspective, this is as real as the emergence of Israel, the birth of Christ, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. To doubt heaven is to deny the prophetic proof that God has graciously given to us.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Oct 30, 2006 2:34 pm |
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What is life? What is death? Is there life after death? These questions are buried deep in the mind of every man. We often push these questions into our sub-conscious, but they have a way of surfacing to the conscious level every now and then, and we usually mull them over for a while before we return them to the sub-conscious. Often these questions arise again at the death of a friend, a relative, or even a famous person. Severe mental or physical suffering can also rouse them. These questions have existed in man's mind from the beginning. They are always there, begging for answers.
One of the oldest, if not the oldest, books in literary history is the book of Job. We find Job asking, "Where is man after he takes his last breath?" (Job 14:10) and, "If a man dies, does he go on living?" (Job 14:14). Job's questions arose from his grief over the deaths of his ten children in a tragic accident and out of his own intense suffering. But for Job, there were no answers.
Centuries later, "The Age of Philosophy" was born and men spent their entire lives seeking the answers to these questions. Still, by the end of that age, the philosophers had not come to any satisfactory answers.
Near the end of the Age of Philosophy, Mary and Martha, sisters living in the small village of Bethany, mourned the death of their brother. They had sent a message to Jesus asking Him to get there as quickly as possible, because the one He loved was deathly ill (John 11:13). Despite the urgency of this message, Jesus chose to relax at the Jordan River for a couple of days before beginning the two-day journey to Bethany, which lies on the Mount of Olives, on the wilderness side away from Jerusalem. By the time he approached the village with His disciples, His friend was dead, he had already been buried four days earlier.
When the sisters heard that Jesus was coming up the road from Jericho, Martha left the other mourners and ran to meet Him. As she came to Him, she exclaimed, "Jesus, if you had only been here earlier, my brother would not have died!" She was disappointed in Him. In a polite way she was rebuking Him by saying, "What took you so long to get here? Lord, where were you when we needed you? Why didn't you respond to our prayers? You could have prevented death and averted our sorrow and grief? Why didn't you?" Isn't it interesting that we still ask Him the same questions when a loved one dies today.
Jesus answered Martha with comforting words: "Your brother will live again." Not fully understanding what He meant, she answered, "Yes, I know that Lord, in the last day in the great resurrection." She must have been thinking of the prophecy of Daniel 12, where he speaks of the general resurrection of the dead; some to everlasting life, others to everlasting contempt. But Jesus answered, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet he shall live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).
Having made this radical statement, He then asked Martha directly, "Do you believe this?" She answered, "Yes, Lord: I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God." The statement Jesus made has to be one of the most radical any man in history has dared to make. If He were not the person who made it, it would immediately be cast off as the vain babble of a fanatic. Imagine Napoleon telling his loyal troops before a battle, "If you believe in me, you will never die." Imagine Hitler or Kadaffi, or even our own President making that claim. You would conclude right away that they were crazy and you probably wouldn't give it another thought. But because of who Jesus is, we cannot just pass over this radical remark. We must consider it seriously.
Living Hope
When Jesus asked, "Do you believe this?" He immediately divided all mankind into two categories: those who believe and those who don't. Those who have hope of life after death, and those who have no true hope for life after death. The Apostle Peter said, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively [living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith" (I Peter 1:3-5). Our hope of eternal life, according to Peter, is more than hope. It is a living hope verified by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
At this point, you may logically argue, "If His words were true, why are there so many crosses on tombstones? What about all of the millions through the centuries that believed in Jesus and are now dead?" It is necessary to point out that the Biblical definition of death is distinctly different from the dictionary definition. Medical science considers a man clinically dead when his brain ceases to function. When a person lapses into a coma, life support systems are hooked up, along with EEG probes that allow doctors to observe brain wave activity. When the line on the monitor goes flat, that person is considered dead. Doctors often leave life support systems on for another twenty four hours. If the line remains flat, they remove the life support, and watch the monitor carefully for some flutter that would indicate the brain is calling for oxygen. If the line stays flat, they notify the family that their loved one is dead. The mind, or consciousness, has departed from the body, so the person is considered dead. Death by this definition is the separation of the consciousness from the body.
From a scriptural perspective, death is the separation of man's consciousness from God. If you are not conscious of God the Bible declares that you are dead. Paul the Apostle said that people living only for pleasure were dead while they were still alive (I Timothy 5:6). God warned Adam in the Garden that the day Adam ate the forbidden fruit he would surely die (Genesis 2:17). When Adam ate the fruit he died spiritually.
Up to that time, God had fellowship with man in the Garden. But after Adam ate the forbidden fruit, this fellowship with God was severed. Adam hid himself and God called to him, "Adam, where are you?" Adam, through sin, separated himself from God. He was spiritually dead, and that would eventually lead to physical death. By believing in Jesus Christ we experience a spiritual birth. When Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus, he said, "And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). Jesus said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36).
What Jesus was saying to Martha when He said, "If you live and believe in Me, you will never die," was that believers will never be consciously separated from God. I am so thankful that He did not mean that our conscious states would never leave our bodies. I cannot imagine a more horrible condition than remaining conscious long after my body could not adequately function. Wouldn't it be awful to be totally helpless; to be fed and bathed by someone you could not communicate with at all? To me that would be a fate worse than death.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| bamuda
Posted:
Mon Oct 30, 2006 4:37 pm |
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| frazerclan wrote: | Bamuda, I just read your post in reply to mine. Thank you for taking the time to do so.
I don't think that you are a nutter. I do think that your belief is irrational but then that is one of the definitions of faith. And it doesn't mean that I consider you irrational in other areas.
I am not really into debating religion but I do like to ask questions of believers to see what they answer. Religion does seem to be a very appropriate tragedy and death avoidence strategy for many. My questioning allows me to broaden my understanding of other people and expands my outlook. Pretty selfish, I know.
I also am a believer. Certainly not in an all-powerful and merciful creator but in the inate goodness and unlimited potential of human beings. You don't have to be a Christian or a believer in another religion to have meaning in your life and to treat people with respect and to live your life in a caring and selfless way (most of the time).
I do not have a problem with knowing that when I die I will cease to exist except through the DNA I have passed to my offspring. Even then, if my DNA does not contribute to the continued survival of our species, it also will cease to exist.
As my father said to me many years ago, 'There is only one certainty in life - you will never get out of it alive!' |
Hey Frazerclan! Let me do a little parse nipping here.
| Quote: | | I do think that your belief is irrational but then that is one of the definitions of faith. |
Yes faith is believing in those things not seen. And most assuredly that is one of the definitions of faith.
| Quote: | | Religion does seem to be a very appropriate tragedy and death avoidence strategy for many. |
I will agree that for some, maybe even most ... that is probably an accurate observation on your part. However, there are those like me that do not fear death, almost welcome it sometimes. I believe there is a hereafter and I want to see it in all its glory.
Religion has been used to control and dominate human kind for centuries with fear and damnation, imo. The man made religions and doctrines are not in my ideals of what comes after this world.
I will not worship another human and think those that follow after mere mortal men on earth are most foolish.
However, I have no problem with the worship of a Supreme Being, an All Knowing God, a loving Benefactor, the Creator. Please remember that is what I have taught all my life, that is what I found to ring most true after my travels through other ideas and that is what I came back to after floundering around in the world for several years.
| Quote: | You don't have to be a Christian or a believer in another religion to have meaning in your life and to treat people with respect and to live your life in a caring and selfless way (most of the time).
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Another true statement Frazerclan. I have known many that claimed to be agnostic and some to be atheists as well. They were great humans, kind hearted and with strong morals. One particular fellow was quite a hoot to talk with, we went round and round daily for a few years. He promised that if he could when he died, he would contact me. So far ... no answer. Bless his heart, he did get "saved" on his death bed. He hated the hypocrisy in religion and I do too. I also despise the judgmental folks that will not see the other side of the story and pass judgement with no mercy.
I can only explain to you what I feel and there is a depth that is not found when you shut out the spiritual side of your life. Kinda like the three parts to the egg, each part is the egg and each part is different and it takes all the parts to make the egg an egg. Was that confusing enough. 
There is a balance that can be found in life. There is a time for play, work and worship. My worship may be found sitting quietly while staring at the sky in awe, holding the tiny hand of a baby and marveling at the workmanship ... sheesh Frazer, I can get lost in wonder in the produce section at the supermarket. The colors, shapes, tastes and smells of food that we take for granted. So many, so good and for the health of our bodies provided, imo, by the one that created us and loves us.
I have many weird and strange ideas I suppose, for instance I am not a big fan of doctors. I believe that if you feed your body properly you will have good health and if you do not contaminate it with chemicals you will not have side effects that will spring up later with yet another ailment.
However, if I broke my arm ... off to the doc I would go. I am not part of a cult in other words. These are just a few of my ideas that I am sharing with you because you want to broaden your understanding and you were kind enough to address me.
| Quote: | | Even then, if my DNA does not contribute to the continued survival of our species, it also will cease to exist |
Well you got me there Frazer. I do believe that our DNA can mingle with the huge trees in the cemetaries though.  
When I die, my DNA is lost to this world as well. It will not be passed on because I do not have children. I have read that there is a school of thought that DNA also carries memories of our ancestors ... those things you just know how to do or understand, those eerie times of feeling that you have had some kind of flash back that doesn't make sense to you or knowing an area that you have never seen in your life. I think those memories are passed through our DNA just like the color of our eyes and the shape of our nose. It is not a big leap for me to go with that thought.
I believe we are unique formulas and the formulas are kept in safe keeping for the future. So, if you were killed by wild beasts, burned to a crisp, lost to the ocean ... it is of no matter ... the formula is safe.
Are you weirded out yet?
| Quote: | | 'There is only one certainty in life - you will never get out of it alive |
Yep and you will pay taxes right up to that moment and your children will continue to pay after.
100 % agreement with me on that one.
Unless you are raptured and that is a whole nother story.
Thank you Frazer, it has been a pleasure to think with you.
N2K ... Are you sure you are not a preacher? You do have a most wonderful gift of sharing your beliefs.
Always a joy to see your nick .... my brother.
Last edited by bamuda on Mon Oct 30, 2006 7:20 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Resident Philosopher
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 1157
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Oct 30, 2006 4:49 pm |
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bamuda - all I can tell you is that I allowed the truth to lift the veil from my eyes in time to be able to share what, to me, is the only real truth this world has ever known. I am just a regular guy who is in awe of the fact that God cared enough for me to send His Son to come and die on a cross so that I could be forgiven. There is no greater love in the world than that.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:03 am |
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Building of God
The Bible teaches that the "real me" is spirit. My body is a gift from God, a marvelous instrument through which I can express myself. Without our bodies, we could not relate to anything or anyone around us. What I am, what I think, what I feel; I relate to you through the medium of my body. You in turn because of your bodies can understand what I relate and in turn you relate to me. Because the body is the medium by which we relate, we begin to identify a person with their body. As we relate to each other, we begin to know, admire, appreciate and love each other. We experience loving relationships. That is exactly what God intended for man.
When our bodies, because of age, illness, accident or disease, can no longer relate what we are, what we feel or what we desire; when our bodies give us more pain than pleasure, they actually become prisons, incarcerating our spirits. Then it is time for God, in His love, to release our spirits from our bodies. The scriptures say that those who believe in Jesus Christ do not experience death, they just go through a metamorphosis or change of body.
In II Corinthians 5:1 Paul describes that change this way: "We know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved [our human bodies return to dust], we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." To the believer then, death is nothing more than moving from a tent to a house!
If you've ever been camping, you know what it's like to stay in a tent for any period of time. It is exciting and fun, but often inconvenient. But you can put up with the inconvenience because you know it is only temporary.
No one thinks of a tent as a permanent dwelling, they think of it instead as something transient. It is the same with our sojourns in these bodies. One day I will move out of my tent and into my mansion, my building of God, not made by hands, that Jesus has gone to prepare for me. (John 14:1,2) You may read or hear someday that a believer in Christ died Don't believe it. That will be poor reporting. It should be said that the believer moved from a worn-out tent into a beautiful mansion. Paul went on to say that, as we live in these bodies, we often groan, earnestly desiring to be delivered or freed from our bodily restrictions. We do not desire to be unembodied spirits, but we want to move into our new heavenly bodies. He concludes, that we know that as long as we are living in our present bodies, we are absent from the Lord. If we had our wish we would leave our earthly bodies so that we could be present with the Lord. Flesh and blood bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of heaven, so the move from tent to mansion is imperative. "This corruption (my present body) must put on incorruption (my new body) and this mortal must put on immorality" (I Corinthians 15:53).
This brings in a flood of new questions and speculations which Paul anticipates in I Corinthians, chapter 15. First of all, how are the dead raised and what kind of bodies will they have when they come back with Christ? In I Thessalonians, chapter four, Paul teaches that when the Lord comes to snatch His church away, He will bring with Him all of the saints that have already gone to be with Him. We will meet together in the air and be with Him forever.
For an answer to the question of how the dead are raised, Paul points to nature to illustrate the truth. Resurrection is not something unique or far-fetched; it is often demonstrated in nature. Every time a seed is planted it dies before it comes forth in a new body and new life. This process is called germination. The very death of the seed is the process by which the new body comes forth. Paul is careful to point out, however, that the body that comes out of the ground is quite different than the body that was planted. We plant a bare grain, but God, through His miraculous recreative powers, gives it a new body that pleases Him. Paul tells us, "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness [our present feeble bodies], it is raised in power [our new glorified form]: It is sown a natural body [our present bodies, as a result of catabolic forces taking their toll], it is raised a spiritual body" (I Corinthians 15:42-44).
But let's go a little further with Paul's illustration of the seed transformed into something new by death. If I held a scaly brown bulb before you and asked you what it was, you might carefully examine it and reply, "That's a gladiola, I think." Looking at that ugly thing, I might query, "A gladiola, are you sure?"
If I put the bulb in the soil and covered it with a little dirt, it would die and split. Out of that cleft a little white shoot would rise and turn green as it reached the atmosphere. As it continued to grow into a stalk, buds would emerge on the sides and open up into beautiful purple, or perhaps red variegated blossoms.
Again I might ask you, "What is that gorgeous flower?"
Again you'd answer, "A gladiola." I could object, saying, "A gladiola, you're putting me on! How can that beautiful flower be a gladiola, when you just told me the brown scaly bulb was a gladiola?"
But it would be true. Though the bodies of the bulb and the flower are completely different, they are definitely related, the one sprang from the death of the other.
One day in heaven, you might see a handsome creature with an abundance of wavy brown hair. You might ask, "Who is that?" And when someone responds, "It's Chuck," you'll probably say, "Come on, you must be putting me on!" Not so. I simply will have blossomed out in my new body, my building of God not made with hands.
In Paul's lesson on resurrection in I Corinthians 15, he asserts that, even as we have borne the image of the earth and have been earthly, so shall we bear the image of the heavens. He is pointing out the fact that, when God created these bodies to house our spirits, He made them out of the earth and He made them for the environmental conditions on Earth. It is true that the seventeen elements found in the soil are the same seventeen elements found in our bodies. God said to Adam, "Dust thou art and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19).
Once, a little boy who was taught that same scripture in Sunday school went home and looked under his bed and excitedly cried to his mother: "Come quick, there's someone under my bed and he's either coming or going!"
In the Psalms, we are told that God knows our frame: that we are made out of dust. (Psalm 103:14) My body was not just made out of earth, it was made for the Earth. My body was designed to extract oxygen from the atmosphere composed of 79 parts nitrogen, 20 parts oxygen and one part other trace gasses. My body was designed to withstand fourteen pounds of pressure per square inch. My body was not made for any other place in our solar system, or as far as we know, any other place in our universe. If we want to take our bodies away from this planet, even a few thousand feet above it, we must take an artificial environment with us. Pilots that fly the SR71, a plane that can climb in excess of 80,000 feet above the Earth, must wear pressurized suits with nitrogen and oxygen tanks. Without these suits, their body liquids would ooze out through their skin, in less than a scant ten miles from the surface of the Earth.
God has promised that, eternally, we will dwell with Him in His glorious Kingdom. We don't know what the environmental conditions of heaven are but there is no doubt that they are different from the conditions here; no doubt far superior. God could outfit us with space suits and let us clomp clumsily around heaven, or He could give us totally new bodies designed to take us anywhere in the universe. God has wisely opted for the latter. He has prepared a mansion for me, a building of God not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. You may think that a change to a new body that is adapted to a totally different environment sounds rather far-fetched and incredible. Again we can turn to nature for illustrations that demonstrate the viability of this concept.
Look at the tadpole, by design it is limited to the water, yet when it goes through it's metamorphosis and is transformed into a frog, it can now live on land also. Better yet, look at a fuzzy little caterpillar, crawling across a field. I can imagine him trying to cross a highway in the summer with all his little feet on the hot black asphalt, thinking to himself, "How wonderful it would be if I could fly! I am so tired of hot dirty feet." He might even attempt to fly by crawling up a tree, jumping off a limb and wiggling as fast as possible. But he's not aerodynamically designed for flight, so he'll just fall to the ground. One day however, he may climb up the wall of your house, ooze a little natural glue to affix himself under your windowsill, spin a chrysalis and hang motionless for a while. If you were to squeeze that chrysalis, you would find an orange-yellow liquid inside. If you let it hang there though, and you watch it carefully, you will see it begin to twitch one day. It will jerk convulsively until beautiful orange and black wings unfurl and a new butterfly perches for a moment on his empty chrysalis. Then, without lessons or instructions, that Monarch butterfly will soon begin to fly around the yard then over the fence and far away.
A metamorphosis from a body limited to crawling on the earth to one that can fly through the air is amazing. The new body allows the butterfly to exist in a whole new environment.
Sometimes as I look around at the chaos and sorrow on earth. I say, "Oh God, I am so tired of hot dirty feet, I wish I could fly!" And one of these days, this corruption will put on incorruption, this mortal will put on immortality, and I will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. (I Corinthians 15:52-54) I will soar above the clouds to be with my God in the glories of His eternal Kingdom, a world without end.
When I am gone, don't weep for me. I will be where my heart now longs to be, beholding the beauty of the face of the one I have never seen, yet I love. And though I don't see Him yet, I rejoice with unspeakable joy, full of glory - I Peter 1:8 - I discovered, through the death of my godly parents, that my great sorrow was not for them, but for myself, for my personal loss of the beautiful input they always had in my life. My sorrow was selfish. I wasn't ready to let them go yet. I felt I still needed the security I always felt from their assurance and love. When I thought of them, there in His glorious presence, I rejoiced for them while I wept for myself.
Unless we are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, we can be sure that one of these days, our spirits will leave our mortal bodies. Our friends might say we have died, but if we have lived and believed in Jesus, according to His promise, we will have merely moved from our tents to our eternal homes where we will, as David, "dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6)
We will have blossomed like the gladiola, and we will soar in our new environment like the butterfly. Thank God this is our living hope, guaranteed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Tue Nov 07, 2006 12:35 pm |
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"THE END OF THE WORLD IS NEAR."
That statement used to be associated with old, gray bearded men walking barefooted in long robes with sandwich boards over their shoulders. The front of the board read "Repent" and the back read "The end of the world is near." We used to pass them off as crackpots and laugh at such a thought or idea.
But lately I've been reading not the wild fanatical statements of some old, so-called prophet but, rather, the statements of men of science, men with a Ph.D. who are highly respected for their knowledge. These men have studied the environmental conditions of the earth. Do you know what they're saying? They're saying, "The end of the world is near."
In fact, these experts are saying that man has anywhere from fourteen to forty years left upon this planet until we have so totally raped our natural resources that we can no longer survive. These men with their doctorates, who are carefully studying the balances of nature, are saying that the end of the world is near.
Is this possible? Can we really believe these ecologists? Are we really destroying nature's balances? Are we really wiping out hundreds of species, are we depleting our energy resources, and destroying the environment around us? Is it true that certain birds cannot hatch their eggs because of the DDT deposits in the eggshells? Is it true that the earth's ozone blanket is steadily disappearing? Are such things really happening? Maybe they're just trying to scare us.
However, they aren't the only ones warning us. Our militarists are telling us that the end of the world is near. They're warning us that if man engages in a full-scale atomic war, we'll exterminate ourselves from the face of the earth and it will be the end of civilization.
In the face of these warnings, the United States continues to maintain its atomic arsenal and the systems to deliver atomic bombs upon our enemies. By the same token, our enemies are maintaining their atomic arsenals and the means of delivering them upon the United States. The real danger is the widespread proliferation of nations now possessing atomic weapons. We're in this mad war of building these huge atomic arsenals. And already there are enough atomic weapons stockpiled to obliterate mankind from the face of the earth.
Not only are the ecologists and militarists warning us, but so are the diplomats. Those analysts who study world conditions tell us that the world is sitting on a powder keg - and the fuse is being lit in the Middle East. At any time the situation can explode into a full-scale conflagration of the great world powers. The end of the world is near.
Is it possible that man could come to the end of an era? Don't we just go on forever, one society replacing another, one generation following another, on and on and on? Hasn't man cried this before? What do they mean, "The end of the world is near"?
The Answer
When Christians talk about the end of the world, they mean something different than the scientists. The scientists are talking about the end of mankind. Christians are talking about the end of the cosmos. This Greek word for world means "the set order." Christians are talking about the end of the present world order which is governed by Satan and in rebellion against God.
Man has had his day, and the day of man's attempt to govern himself is about to close. For a long time we've sought to govern ourselves and to live independently from God. We've tried about every conceivable form of government. We've sought for equality and justice. We've replaced one system of government with another. But we've proven, by the variety of governmental forms tried, that it's impossible for man to govern himself without falling into corruption. Even communism, the newest form, has already slipped into an irrevocable form of corruption from which there is no recovery.
What's the answer? What's the answer to the world's cries for peace, and the world's cries for love, and the world's cries for dwelling together in harmony? There is no answer except Jesus Christ.
We who are of the church look for a new form of government - a monarchy that embraces the entire world. We're waiting for our King to come and set up that monarchy. We're waiting for righteousness to cover the earth as the waters cover the seas. This glorious coming Kingdom and the momentous events surrounding its establishment are described to us in the prophetic book of Revelation.
1. The Revelation
The Bible is unique and different from any other book in the world. It is a book that still stands today after years and years of criticism. It has been hammered on by all kinds of people for thousands of years. The hammers have worn out but the book still remains.
The Bible took over two thousand years to write and includes more than forty different authors. Yet, it is one, beautiful, continuous story of God's love and God's plan for sinning man.
The book of Revelation, written by the apostle John, is the last book of the Bible. It is divided into three sections or divisions. In Revelation 1:19 John was told by the angel to "write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be after these things."
In chapter one, John wrote the things which he had seen - the vision of Jesus Christ. This is the first section of the book.
In chapters two and three, John wrote the things which are the letters of Jesus to the seven churches of Asia dealing with - things concerning the church, the ministry of the church, and the witness of the church in the world. These letters are the second section of the book and they describe the various periods of church history.
From Revelation 4 onward, the third section of Revelation, John prophesied those things which are to take place after the church has been taken out of the world - the future which is about to unfold before us.
REVELATION 1:1-2
The head of your King James Bible says "The Revelation of St. John the Divine." That is not accurate. That is man's heading. The book of Revelation does not reveal St. John the Divine. It reveals Jesus Christ.
We get the truth in verse one: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." The word revelation is a translation of the Greek word "apokalypsis" which literally means "unveiling."
Picture, if you will, a draped statue that is about to be dedicated in front of city hall. The band is playing, the mayor gives a speech, and the artist who carved the statue tells about designing it. Then, the dramatic moment comes and the canvas is lifted. Everybody sees this statue that will now adorn city hall for the next century. That lifting-off of the canvas in the Greek is the word apokalypsis. It is taking off the wraps so you can see. The book of Revelation is the unveiling of Jesus Christ. So rather than being a sealed book, as some claim, it is taking the wrap off so that we might see Jesus in His future glory.
It is extremely important for you to know what God is and who Jesus Christ is. Some of you are totally ignorant concerning God. Your hearts are darkened. You have no knowledge of Him. Some of you have a veil over your eyes and heart, and you really don't want any knowledge of God. The Bible states, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalm 141). The man is a fool who doesn't seek to know God.
God has spoken to man. In times past He spoke by the prophets. In these last days he has spoken to us by His own dear Son "whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:2). Jesus Christ is the faithful witness of what God is. If you want to know what God is like, you can look to Jesus Christ and understand what God is all about.
The Revelation [or unveiling] of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John (Revelation 1:1).
Here we find the route by which this revelation came to us. God gave it to Jesus Christ, showing Him the glory that should be revealed. Concerning the cross the Bible said, "Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame" (Hebrews 12:2). This book of Revelation, to a great extent, is the joy that was set before Jesus Christ as the Father showed Him the place that He would have in the ages to come.
Jesus, in turn, gave the revelation to His angel who brought it to His servant, John, "who bore record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw" (Revelation 1:2).
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 9277
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Wed Nov 08, 2006 8:31 am |
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In his first epistle John wrote,
That which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life... That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ (I John 1:1,3).
John is the faithful recorder writing the things that he saw and heard, writing as the Lord dictated to him. This revelation came by vision as well as by voice. The people in the vision, the spiritual entities that John saw, were conversing with him and explaining many of the things that he saw.
REVELATION 1:3
Included in this book of Revelation is a built-in blessing.
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand (Revelation 1:3).
The blessing is upon those that hear and those that read this book. It was addressed to the seven churches in Asia. It was actually intended to be read in the churches and, no doubt, a copy was made for each church.
In those days they did not have bookstores or racks in the supermarkets. Writing material was very scarce. The early writing material was papyrus from Egypt. Then Egypt put a premium on it and began a papyrus embargo in order to raise prices and put the squeeze on the world. So, in Pergamos, they invented parchment as a writing material. But it, too, was very scarce. At the time of Christ there were great libraries but very few people had any books of their own. They did, however, have the materials to write personal letters. Each of the churches received a copy of the letter and it was to be read aloud in the church.
Much of the church service in those days was given to the reading of the various epistles and this book of Revelation. The blessings are to those that hear, to those that read the words of this prophecy, and to those that keep the things that are written in it.
Notice that John himself calls it a prophecy. Thus, when we read it we must look to the future. It's speaking of things that shall happen.
Interpretations
There are various interpretations of the book of Revelation. There's the preterist interpretation of the book of Revelation, which seeks to make all the events correspond to the church's struggle against imperial Rome. It sees the whole book transpiring during the period of Roman history when the church went through great persecution by various emperors. It interprets the book as completed and fulfilled.
There is the historic interpretation which sees the book of Revelation as the history of the church's struggle against the world systems. This goes beyond the Roman period and follows through to the present time.
There is also the spiritual interpretation which confuses things so completely that nobody understands what is what. This interpretation spiritualizes everything so nothing means what it says. Everything is interpreted as a spiritual allegory. When you spiritualize the Scriptures you remove any authority or teaching from them, because every man is free to interpret the spiritual allegory as he desires.
Then there is the futurist interpretation of the book of Revelation. I personally feel that the futurist view is the correct view. With the futurist view you can read the book and believe that it meant what it said, and it said what it meant. You don't have to start twisting things to make them fit here and there, and changing them to fit some scheme. The futurist view takes the Revelation just as it says, to be understood just as it is.
REVELATION 1:4-5
John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seen Spirits which are before his throne (Revelation 1:4).
The number seven is mentioned over and over throughout this prophecy. Seven is sometimes called God's perfect number because it represents completeness or totality. Seven days make a complete week, seven notes comprise the musical scale, and seven colors are in the rainbow. Thus, seven churches would indicate the complete church.
Geographically, these churches complete a small circle. There were many more churches in Asia Minor than these seven; one of the major churches, Colosse, was not addressed here. But, because seven is the number of completeness, these seven present us with the complete history of the church.
In this prophecy here also have the seven seals, the seven trumpet judgments, the seven thunders, and the seven vials of God's wrath - all of which demonstrate God's complete judgment on the earth.
It is also worth noticing that the number eight is the number of new beginnings. The eighth day starts the new week; after seven musical notes the eighth note starts the new upper scale. Since each letter of the Greek alphabet carries a numeric equivalent, it is interesting that the total numeric value of the names for Jesus in the Greek are all divisible by eight - Jesus, Christos, Kurios. He is the new beginning, and we have a new beginning in Christ.
"Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come." This is God's eternal character. God is past, He is present, and He is future. He was, He is, and He is to come. He's all these at the same time. Everything is the "eternal now" with God.
"And from the seven Spirits which are before his throne." Here (and in Revelation 3, 4, and 5) we read of the seven Spirits before the throne of God. Again, the number seven indicates the completeness of the work of the Holy Spirit. The prophet Isaiah, speaking of the ministry of Jesus Christ declared,
The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:2).
Thus, the seven-fold working of the Holy Spirit is defined and described.
John sends the blessings from God, from the Holy Spirit, "and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness" (Revelation 1:5). Jesus Christ is the faithful witness of what God is. He came to reveal the Father.
The night in which He was betrayed, Jesus was talking with His disciples. Philip cried to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." Jesus said, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?" (John 14:8-9).
Today, God wants to reveal Himself through you. It is God's purpose that the world sees Him through you. That is a very heavy obligation on our part. Jesus said, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me" (Acts 1: . Our lives are to bear witness of Jesus Christ and who He is.
The word witness in Greek is "martus," from which we get our English word "martyr." "Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness [martyr], and the first begotten of the dead" (Revelation 1:5).
This phrase first begotten doesn't mean the first in time but the first in priority. First begotten is speaking of prominence. It refers to Jesus Christ as the most important one ever raised from the dead.
Also, Jesus was begotten of the dead unto eternal life never to die again. Others had been raised from the dead only to die a second time. But Jesus arose never to die again. In this sense, He is "the first begotten of the dead."
He is "the prince [ruler] of the kings of the earth" (Revelation 1:5). This is the title and position that Jesus will have during the kingdom age. God "has made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor" (Psalm 8:5). We see a world that is in chaos and under the power and dominion of Satan. But we're looking for that glorious coming Kingdom when Jesus will assume His position as the ruler of the kings of the earth.
Revelation 1:5 describes Jesus and His relationship to you: "Unto him that loved us." Never doubt the love of Jesus Christ for you! Satan will seek to have you doubt that love. He'll whisper, "You've been bad! God certainly doesn't love you now. You've failed! You haven't lived up to His standards. Jesus doesn't love bad little boys." That isn't true. Jesus loves you no matter what your condition. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:. Jesus died for the ungodly. And if, while you were a sinner and rebelling against Him, He loved you enough to die for you, how much more shall you experience the fullness of that love and grace now that you've opened your heart to Him and sought to walk after Him.
Unto him that loved us, and [because He loved us] washed us from our sins in his own blood (Revelation 1:5).
For the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses a man from all sin. In His love, Jesus shed His blood and washed you from all of your sins. F | |
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