BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3b-4
ENCOURAGING WORD:
Every once in a while, someone may ask us, what exactly is the Gospel? We all know what the Gospel is in our heart, but sometimes we find it hard to put into words exactly what it isl.
In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; The first 2 verses say, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." and the next two verses go on to say, “for I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,”
The fact that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again, is the only means by which we are saved. If Jesus Christ didn't raise from the dead, our faith would be in vain, and we would be men most miserable. If we do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, then all our good works are done in vain.
In Matthew 7: 21-23, this should be a wakeup call to all of us. Listen to what it is saying. "Not everybody that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
It is very clear in these verses that you can do nothing to earn salvation. Jesus wants a personal relationship with us. Without a personal relationship with Jesus, everything else we do is in vain. Read the letter to Ephesus in; Revelation 2:1-7; Jesus explains His point very clear.
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’
The Ephesians started out with a good accommodation as we just read. But over time they turned their love for Jesus into programs and works related services instead of staying focused on Jesus Himself. This is the main issue that has permeated the mainline denominations in today's sects of Christianity. The Christian churches are all bent on works related issues instead of staying focused on their love for Jesus Christ, the One who willingly allowed Himself to be crucified on a cross of wood. However, we hear very few sermons on the life and times of Jesus Christ. It has turned into programs and sermons about topical studies. Usually nothing to do with the Bible.
When we attend our local church, it should consist of a Bible Study that comes straight from the scriptures. I don’t have anything against topical studies, but those kind of teaching should be present at a conference of some kind and such.
Let’s hear what the Apostle Paul had to say about this in. Acts 20:26-29; Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.”
Paul taught from the scriptures of the Bible, not what was going on in the world as many modern day churches do today. Also note; As we teach through the scriptures and we come across a teaching on prophecy, we should teach what the prophecy is declaring, but don't dwell on it for weeks on end. We should not skip over any part of the Bible, just because we might no quite understand it. It should be studied by the Pastor or Priest with the presence of the Holy Spirit doing the teaching so the message can be clearly understood.
Here are some Bible verses that relate to being born again and the Holy Spirit's role as a guide to all truth.
John 14:26; “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” Jesus promises His disciples that the Holy Spirit will teach them everything and remind them of what he has said. This promise is especially important in light of the disciples' future role in proclaiming the Gospel to the world..
1 John 2:26–27; “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” The apostle John says that the Holy Spirit lives within believers and teaches them everything they need to know, so they don't need anyone elses interpretaion of the scriptures.
Romans 8:9; “ But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” Believers who are born again have the Holy Spirit within them.
Romans 10:17; “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Paul says that faith comes from hearing the Word of God, and that the Spirit of God will give life and glorify the Son of God when believers speak the word of God faithfully.
It is obvious by the scripture that I just read, that unless one is indwelled with the Holy Spirit, which means being born again, they cannot fully understand the way the Bible was meant to be understood. And since most of the denominational churches do not teach that you must be born again, they can only touch the surface of what they read. They can only understand what the human brain can comprehend. Jesus told the disciples that they must wait for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit before they can go out and share the Gospel to the World.
We read this fact in; Luke 24:49; “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father (The Holy Spirit) before they could go out and preach the truth to the world.
I feel quite confident that most of those that teach the Bible in the main line denominations are not born again, and therefore cannot teach the absolute truth of the scriptures. They can skim the surface and in many cases misrepresent the depth of what is being taught or they just completely miss the whole point of what is truly being revealed. Let me share a verse in the Bible that explains what I am saying.
Daniel 12:4; “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Here in this verse, ther Angel Gabriel is telling Daniel to seal up the words that were spoken to him until the end of days when knowledge will increase. That time is upon us where the Holy Spirit is revealing the truth to those that give their lives to Jesus Christ and become born again. Those that are born-again understand what is happening in our world because they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and have been born-again into the Holy Spirit. If you are just going by what you are taught in the denominational churches, you are blind to the reality of what is taking place throughout our world. You don’t believe in prophecy because there is no way for you to understand it. Let me share a verse with you that explains why you can’t understand the truth.
2 Corinthians 4:2-4; “But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled (Hidden) to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age (Satan) has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
This verse is clearly stating that unbelievers are blinded by the god of this world, which is Satan. You may say, well, I believe. My question to you is, “In what or whom do you believe?” If you believe what the denominational churches are teaching, then in most cases you aren’t being told the truth so that makes you an unbeliever of the Word of God. Satan wants you to believe the denominational churches because they have opened the door to demonic forces. Satan could not defeat Christianity so He joined them with deception and lying ways. Satan has crept in unaware and corrupted the Word of God. Remember the following Bible verse.
Galatians 5:9-10; “A little leaven (Sin) leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is."
Leaven in this verse is referring to sin. The church has allowed just enough of Satan (Sin) into the church and what does the Bible verse above say, A little leaven (Sin) leavens the whole lump. Unfortunately, over time, more and more leaven has crept into todays churches and now they has fallen from the truth of the scriptures. We read in the next couple verses;
2 Timothy 4:3-4; “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will gather up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”
We are living in the days that Timothy was describing. I’m sure that very few have ever heard a sermon about the verses that I just read. Do you know why? It’s because the Holy Spirit is not indwelling them and they have no idea what Timothy is referring to, so like most of the Bible that speaks of prophecy, they ignore it or explain it away.
The next point I would like to make comes from the Epistle of; 2 John, 1:9-11; "Whosoever transgresses, and abide not in this doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is a partaker of his evil deeds"
You know who these people are...Black suits and Black ties. Send them on their way. Some of you may say, "Shouldn't we share the gospel with them?" These people are very cleaver in their false doctrine...they don't want to hear the truth. They want an argument, don't get caught up in a conversation of wits. Of course you will do what you feel is right at the time, but I take God's Word very seriously, as I do all of the Bible. When He says don't do something, I listen to Him.
This also includes all the angelic apparitions that people claim to be Mary. Its not Mary. It is a messenger of Satan coming as an Angel of light. We read this truth in the following Bible verse. 2 Corinthians 11:13-14; “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”
Listen carefully to what the following Bible verse are saying. Galatians 1:8-12; “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”
One way to discern whether or not an angel is from God, hear what they say. All the apparitions of Mary teach that we must bring peace to the world in order for Jesus to return. Sounds wonderful, but it is a lie from the pit of hell! This false doctrine that this angel is declaring is taught specifically in the Lutheran sect of Christianity. Do they not teach for the Holy Bible of God. Jesus clearly said that there would be no peace until He returned. Listen again very carefully to what the next verse say. Matthew 24:22; “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” This is Jesus saying that if He did not return, no flesh would be saved. Does that sound like Jesus is going to return to a peaceful society. To take it a step further, Jesus is specifically speaking of the time of the great tribulation, which is another teaching that the Lutheran churches deny. Once again I would like to know what Bible they teach from. The problem is, once you deny Bible prophecy, you will have to allegorize most of the end time teaching.
I’m going to share what I believe to be one of the most convincing messages about the end times.
The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
Matthew 24:3-31; “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
First we have to understand that there are three different questions with three different answers. When they asked, “When will these thigs be, they are referring to the destruction of Jerusalem that took place in 70 AD. Jesus said in Matthew 24: 1-2; “Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. (2) And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” The question “When will these things happen is in reference to Matthew 24:2.
Then Jesus answers the question; "And what will be the sign of Your coming," And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Again, this answer is in reference to “And what will be the sign of Your coming” All the signs that Jesus spoke of in these couple verses are all things that are taking place in our world today on a very large scale. Of course, All these things have been a part of our world for quite some time, but not anywhere close to the magnitude that is happening today. There have always been wars and rumors of wars, but the one that specifically is mentioned in Ezekiel, chapter 37-38 is on the verge of coming to fruition. The Bible mentions a multitude of Islamic nations lead by Russia that will attack Israel in the end days as a huge sign that the end is near. All these nations are in place to fulfill this war. You may have noticed all the evil that is taking place against Israel. All these attacks on Israel are leading up to the big one that is mentioned in Ezekiel, and it could erupt at any moment.
The last question that was asked is "what will be of the sign of the end of the age?” This is where Jesus expands on what He refers to as the great tribulation. “Then they will deliver you (All belivers in Christ whether Jew or Gentile) up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” This will all start to take place after the rapture of the church (The True believers in Christ). I believe this is the first three and a half years of the seven year tribulation that was prophesied by Daniel the Prophet. We can see how the world is leading up to this by how people are already hating others for what they stand for and what they believe. America is already divided in two. Those who hold to a Biblical account of the Bible and those who don’t. The destruction of America is immanent. America is turning against everything that God stands for. What most of the American people do not understand is this. We are not in a political battle; we are in a spiritual battle. A battle of good and evil. If you don’t know what side you are on, I can pretty much guarantee that you are on the side of evil. It also mentions in the verse above that lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. If you aren’t aware of what is going on in the political arena, and how the laws of our land are being swept away by evil leaders of our country, then you have to be blind or you just don’t care. When it says that he who endures to the end shall be saved, that is speaking of those that turned to Jesus Christ during the tribulation and have somehow survived through it all to the end. This will happen as a result of the gospel of the kingdom being preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations. This is how many will come to Jesus Christ during this time. Some feel that more will come to Jesus Christ during this time than those that will be raptured. Personally, I’m not sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Here is the thing to be concerned about. If you come to Jesus now, you will not be put through the tribulation, and if you come to Jesus during the tribulation, you will most likely be hunted down and killed for your faith. You can come to Jesus by faith now, or you can come to Jesus when it will be obvious that the Bible was true all along.
The Great Tribulation
Now we get to the middle part of the great tribulation. “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” At the middle of the tribulation, the Antichrist will stand at the Holy of Holies and proclaim himself to be god. Daniel referred this event as "The Abomination of Desolation" This is when the eyes of the Jews will be opened, and they will then realize that Jesus has been their long awaited Messiah all this time. This is the trigger point where many of the Jews will head to the hills as it says in the verse that I just read, also known as Petra, which I believe will be the place where God will supernaturally preserve one-third of the Jews. We read in; Zechariah 13:8; “And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it:” This is speaking of the tribulation period. One-third of the Jews will be preserved, and two-thirds will be cut off and die. This will be a time when the Jews will suffer their second holocaust, only this one will be worse. The verse that we just read validates what I just said.
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. In Matthew 24:26-28, Jesus is warning his disciples not to be misled by false prophets and teachers who claim he has returned and is in hiding. He tells them that his return will be so public and obvious that no one will be able to doubt it, and they should not believe any rumors or secondhand gossip about it. Jesus says that his return will be like lightning from the east, visible even in the west. He also says that when he returns, he will judge the wicked, and doom will come to anyone who opposes his will. In other words, when Jesus returns after the tribulation, all eyes will see Him. He is comparing it to lightning. When Jesus comes it will be obvious. Jesus has been clarifying to His disciples that His return, the second coming, will not be a secret. They should not believe lies from false prophets and false teachers that He has come back and is hiding out somewhere. He doesn't want them to be led astray by anyone claiming to be Him or the "real" Messiah Instead, Jesus has said that His return will be as public and unmistakable as a blast of lightning across the sky. Everyone will see, everyone will know. They will not be left to wonder or investigate.
I’m not sure what the verse "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together" is in referrence to. I’ve heard a few explanations, but this one makes as much sense as any of the other ones. The carcass refers to a freshly slain animal. Revelation 19 clearly paints the picture of the birds coming to feast upon the corpses of those who are about to be slaughtered by Christ at His return. This is a clear judgment use of this terminology. Since the contexts are similar in Matthew 24 and in Luke 17, I think that consistency of context demands a judgment interpretation.
Who are the eagles? Some interpret the eagles as vultures. If that is the case then it is obvious who the carcasses are. We read the following verse that might make it more clear who the carcasses are.
Revelation 14:20; “And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.” This I believe is referring to the carcasses of Matthew 24:28. These are those that were slaughtered when Jesus returned to the earth with wrath. This passage uses the symbolism of grapes in a winepress to describe the eventual defeat of the wicked in the end times. As grapes are crushed and broken to release wine, the bodies of God's enemies will be smashed in a bloody defeat. Taken in absolutely literal terms, this verse describes a cascade of blood some five or six feet (2 meters) high and 180 miles (290 kilometers) long. Most interpreters see this as primarily symbolic. Some suggest that what's described is a 1600-stadia zone of carnage during battle, so violent that blood is splattered as high as the head of a horse.Whether entirely or partly poetic, one thing is certain: this judgment creates a gory scene. Revelation 19:13; “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” This verse pictures Jesus as having blood on His robe as He rides into warfare against the wicked. The blood on His robe, I believe, is that of His enemies. The interpretation that it is the blood of His enemies is supported by the prophetic picture given in Isaiah 63:2–4; “Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. Jesus' defeat of His enemies at the end of the tribulation will be absolute and terrible.”
The Coming of the Son of Man
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
This final event will be the end of the world as we now know it. This will usher in the "One Thousand Year Millennial Kingdom" that has been promised throughout the Bible. "The Millennium is a thousand-year reign of peace, and the Lord Jesus Christ will be King." The word (mille) means “a thousand”, so the millennium is “a thousand years.” That term is mentioned six times in Revelation 20. The Millennium will be Christ's one-thousand-year reign as King, following the Tribulation. This doctrine is also not supported by the denominational churches of today. I’m going to share a few verses that validate the fact that there will be a one thousand year reign with Jesus Christ ruling from the throne of David.
Revelation 20:4; “ And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
If this is not speaking of the Millennial Kingdom, then what is it referring to. Those that oppose this belief, try to say that we are now living in the Millennial Kingdom. If you deny the fact that Jesus will rule for one-thousand years on earth, then you have to allegories most of the Bible that speaks of the end times. That is nonsense. One verse that denies what the denominational churches teach is this.
Revelation 20:2-3; “He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.”
If we are now living in the one thousand year Millennial Kingdom, and supposedly Satan is bound and tied as the verse that I just read declares, then I would have to say he has a very long chain. My question is this, what Bible are these sects of Christianity teaching from, it obviously is not “The Holy Bible” that was completely inspired and written by the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 20:7; “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,” This verse clearly states that after one thousands years, Satan will once again be released to spread terror one more time before he is totally destroyed by God and sent to the Lake of Burning Fire forever with all those that rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Zechariah 8:3-5: “Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the Lord of hosts,The Holy Mountain.’ “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sitIn the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age.The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.”
This will be a time when Jesus will restore the world into a paradise once again. No more evil. Longevity of life will once again prevalent.
Isaiah 65:20; “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.”
This is saying that a one hundred year old will be as a child. A few more verses to share with you before I end this teaching.
Revelation 20: 4-6; “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
Read and study the words of Revelation 20:4-6; Gods Word will not return void. I’ll end with this.
Matthew 5:18-19; “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Every Word in the Bible will come to fruition, and the Millennial Kingdom, the Tribulation and the Rapture have not happened yet…but they will, and the time is at hand for all these things to be fulfilled. You can Bank on it!
God bless you all and stay focused on Jesus Christ...He is coming soon. Amen!
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”
May God Bless you all and take care!
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