ENGLISH ONLY EDITION. Light is sown like seed for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11
Showing posts with label Bible Study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible Study. Show all posts
Sunday, February 20, 2022
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Thursday, February 7, 2019
The Seasons in the Christian’s life (Brokenness) - Introduction
Written
and published by Jean-Louis Mondon.
(To read the next
chapters, click HERE)
I am posting this message in answer to a brother's
question: "Jesus talked about 4 types of soil (heart conditions). If 3 of
the 4 types are poor soil, how does one go about plowing?"For a companion poem "The wounds of my friend Jesus", please click here: http://thelightseed.blogspot.com/2011/06/wounds-of-my-friend-jesus.html
LESSONS FROM THE THRESHING FLOOR
O
my threshed people and my afflicted (son) of the threshing floor!What I have
heard from the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel,I make known to you. (Isaiah 21:10 NASV)
The Seasons in the Christian’s life
(Brokenness)
My intention in choosing the subject of this message was to provide from the Scriptures some understanding into the meaning and purpose of suffering in the Christian life.
Perhaps, each one of us has pondered the same thing in the midst of unexpected adverse circumstances. This search for answers is valid, but could lead to a horrible frustration reaching a deep state of desperation if we do not find an answer that makes sense. As our pastor told us in last week’s sermon the correct question must not be: “Lord, why do we suffer, but what for? I believe that if we can find the answer to the latter, we will be able to accept all circumstances in our lives with a new positive perspective, knowing that we can trust in our God who loves us, who has a plan for our life and who gives us everything we need to grow in Him.
King David in Psalm 25: 4,5, asked the LORD:
Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” Further on, the same Psalm declares in verse 14: “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.”
Through much study of the Word of God and through personal experience, I have found satisfactory answers to my quest and have concluded that suffering is a normal part of the Christian life and that it is essential for our growth. This theme is highly present and visible throughout the Bible both in Old and New Testament. This is what I would like to share with you today.
BACKGROUND
In the Bible one of the most important places is Mount Moriah. According to Genesis 22:1-2:
“God did prove (or test) Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham. And he said, Here am I. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah. And offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of”.
On the same Mount Moriah stood the city of Jebus, the Jebusite stronghold renamed Jerusalem by King David who conquered it. It is the same site on which King David offered a sacrifice to avert a plague that God sent upon the Israelites because of David’s disobedience when he ordered his captains to take a military census. The Bible relates the event in 2 Samuel 24: 16-25:
And David built there an altar unto Jehovah, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. So Jehovah was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel”.
Years later, according to 2 Chronicles 3:1, 2:
“Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem on mount Moriah, where Jehovah appeared unto David his father, which he made ready in the place that David had appointed, in the threshing-floor of Ornan (or Araunah) the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign”.
Finally, we come to the supreme sacrifice which occurred in the very same place, in Jerusalem, where the unblemished Lamb of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus-Christ offered himself to be crucified on the cross as atonement to wash away our sins, obtain forgiveness, salvation and eternal life for those who repent and believe in Him.
INTRODUCTION
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,2).
Give ear and hear my voice,
Listen and hear my words.
24 Does the [a]farmer plow [b]continually to plant seed?
Does he continually [c]turn and harrow the ground?
25 Does he not level its surface
And sow dill and scatter cummin
And [d]plant wheat in rows,
Barley in its place and rye within its [e]area?
26 For his God instructs and teaches him properly.
27 For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
Nor is the cartwheel [f]driven over cummin;
But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club.
28 Grain for bread is crushed,
Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever.
Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually [g]damage it,
He does not thresh it longer.
29 This also comes from the Lord of hosts,
Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.(Isaiah 28:23-29). NASB
To be continued. Next Chapter: https://thelightseed.blogspot.com.br/2013/01/the-seasons-in-life-of-christian_23.html
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Friday, February 12, 2016
The Olivet Discourse … Luke’s Version
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
Students of prophecy often pay more attention to Matthew’s version of the Olivet Discourse because of its greater length and detail. But when we bypass Luke’s account, we miss one third of the Lord’s message. That’s because the disciples asked the Lord three questions and in Matthew 24 He only answered the last two. Also, it’s Luke’s answer to their first question that confirms the whole message as it relates to the End Times.
Here’s why. When a prophet revealed events that would take place beyond the lifetimes of the people he was speaking to, the Lord often provided a short term partial fulfillment to validate the distant prophecy. This is because He had told the people that if what a prophet said didn’t come true, then the people were not to fear him, for he hadn’t spoken for the Lord. (Deut 18:21-22)
There are numerous partial fulfillments in Scripture that would serve as good examples of this, but perhaps the clearest one comes from John 5:43. Speaking to Israel, Jesus said, “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.” He was referring to the anti-Christ, who many in Israel will believe to be the Messiah when he comes on the scene at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week. But just before Jesus was handed over to be executed, Pilate offered to free Him as a sign of Roman mercy, traditionally expressed on Passover. He gave the people a choice, the innocent Jesus who came in His Father’s name, or a convicted killer named Barabbas who came in his own name. The people chose Barabbas. It was the partial fulfillment that validated the Lord’s prophecy of Israel and the anti-Christ in the 70th Week.
And as we’ll see, the destruction of Jerusalem in 69AD was the partial fulfillment that validated the Lord’s prophecy of the End Times. Let’s take a look.
According to Mark 13:3, it was Peter, James, John and Andrew who asked. And in Matt. 24:3 we can read their complete question. “When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
This is our first hint that things will be different in Luke’s account. He only has the disciples asking the first question, the one about their immediate future.
As we get started, it’s important to understand that none of the gospel writers thought of themselves strictly as historians. Had the Lord only wanted to document history, one gospel account would have been sufficient. Instead, each writer was assigned a different audience, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tailored his account to meet the needs of that audience. Each also portrayed Jesus a little differently to show a particular side of Him. Matthew wrote to the Jews showing them that Jesus was their Messiah-King, the Lion of Judah. Mark wrote to the Romans, describing Jesus as the humble Servant of the Lord. Luke wrote to the Greeks, portraying Jesus as the Son of Man, and John wrote to the Church identifying Jesus as the Son of God.
Among other things, this was the fulfillment of four Old Testament prophecies of a figure God called “The Branch”, a messianic reference. In Jeremiah 23:5 the Branch is called the King. In Zechariah 3:8 He’s the Servant. In Zechariah 6:12 He’s the Man and in Isaiah 4:2 He’s the Branch of the Lord. In each case the word Branch is capitalized. OK, now let’s get to the Lord’s answer.
He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:8-11)
In the beginning, His answer sounds a lot like those in Matthew 24:4-7 and Mark 13:5-8. But that’s about to change.
“But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.” (Luke 21:12-19)
These verses clearly describe the lives of the Apostles in the earliest days of the Church. Peter and John testified before the Sanhedrin. Paul was on both sides of this prophecy, first attacking Christians with a vengeance and after his conversion bearing witness to leaders like Felix, Festus, and Herod Agrippa. Of the original 12 disciples, only John died of natural causes, and all of them suffered through the most terrifying forms of torture without ever recanting a single word of their testimony.
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-24)
Once again, the bulk of this passage is identical to Matthew’s account, but there are two striking differences showing us that they’re not describing the same event. First, in Matthew 24:15 the warning sign that it’s time to flee is the Abomination of Desolation standing in the Holy Place. Here it’s the positioning of the Roman army around Jerusalem.
Normally it would be too late to flee when a besieging army could be seen encircling a city. But in 68-69AD the political situation in Rome was unstable to say the least. The former general of the Roman armies in the Middle East was a man named Titus Vespasian. He had recently turned his command over to his son, also named Titus, so he could position himself to become the next Emperor. (This came to pass upon the death of Nero in 68, and Vespasian was named Emperor on July 1, 69.) He had been concerned that he would need more military backing to make his claim good, so even though the legions now under his son’s command had already begun their siege of Jerusalem, Vespasian ordered them to disengage and return to Rome. When they began pulling back to prepare for the journey, the believers in Jerusalem who had been taught the Lord’s warning hastened to escape the city.
But before the Romans could leave entirely, Titus Vespasian sent word to his son that the troops wouldn’t be needed after all and ordered them to resume their siege of Jerusalem. By then all the believers had escaped.
In the month we call August of 69 AD the walls were breached and the Temple was captured. The interior furnishings caught fire and the heat caused the gold plating on the wooden ceiling beams to melt. As the liquid gold ran down the walls it flowed into the cracks between the stones. When the fire had gone out and the stones had cooled, the Roman soldiers tore the ruins apart stone by stone to get the gold that had flowed between them and solidified. Not one stone was left standing on another, in fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy (also in Luke 19:43-44).
In 70 AD the Roman army completed its conquest of the Holy Land in the siege of Masada. Although over one million Jews had perished, according to tradition not a single believer died in the destruction of Jerusalem. (Some historical accounts place the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple one year earlier in 68AD but the general consensus is that it happened as I’ve described it.)
The second difference in the two accounts is that while Matthew’s version ends with the 2nd Coming and is world wide in its focus, Luke describes the Jewish diaspora and the ensuing control of Jerusalem by the Gentiles. In short, Luke’s account has so far been confined to describing events concerning the fall of Jerusalem. He was describing the short term partial fulfillment within the lifetimes of the Lord’s audience that validates the ultimate fulfillment at the End of the Age.
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)
Suddenly the Lord expanded His answer to include the whole world and the End of the Age. Those who are alive on Earth when the signs He described begin to happen are to understand that the culminating event will be the Lord’s return, just like Matthew and Mark said. And believers are told that when we first begin to see the signs, we should start looking at the sky in expectation, because the Lord will be on His way for us. Notice how the narrative changes from the third person, “men will faint from terror” and “they will see the Son of Man coming” to the second person, “lift up your heads” and “your redemption is drawing near“. He was distinguishing between believers and the rest of the world.
And pay particular attention to how the focus changes from the end of the sequence, “they will see the Son of Man coming“, to its beginning “when these things begin to happen“. If you didn’t already know it from Paul’s teaching you wouldn’t recognize that He’s hinting at two separate events, the Rapture and the 2nd Coming. But since you do, you can. And you can also see that the second coming is at the end of the sequence, but our redemption (rapture) will take place at its beginning.
He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
“I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:29-36)
As in Matthew’s account, the fig tree parable is not meant to signify Israel, but the speed with which these events will unfold once they begin. The fig tree was the last one to get its leaves in the spring, so they knew when they saw leaves sprouting on the fig trees, that summer was really close. In the same way, the span of time between the beginning of the End Times signs and the Lord’s return will be relatively short.
I think this summary was meant both for the generation alive during the fall of Jerusalem and the one that’s here at the End of the Age. Thirty five years after the Lord spoke these words, the Romans began their three year campaign to complete the overthrow of the Jewish nation. Many who were taught this prophecy by the very men who got it straight from the Lord’s mouth were still alive when this happened. And at the End of the Age many who are alive as these signs begin to appear will still be alive at their conclusion.
The last sentence is especially meaningful. “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” By watching for the sign of the Roman armies encircling Jerusalem and praying for deliverance (from all that was about to happen), believers on Earth at the time were able to escape the death and destruction of Jerusalem’s judgment. Just so, by watching for the End Times signs and praying for deliverance, the believers on Earth in our time will be able to escape from the death and destruction of Earth’s judgment (to stand before the Son of Man).
As you know, I don’t believe the Lord ever gave a clear teaching on the Rapture of the Church. But with two brief mentions, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28) and “pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man ” (Luke 21:36) He gave the clearest hints of His entire earthly ministry that the Church will be delivered from the end times judgments. (60 years later, when He visited John on the Isle of Patmos, He confirmed this, saying, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (Rev. 3:10). Before the end times judgments begin we’ll be standing before the Son of Man, having met Him in the air (1 Thes. 4:16-17).
The King James version of Luke 21:36 reads “pray that you may be counted worthy to escape” and there are those who use this verse to justify a partial rapture, saying only those believers who are worthy will be taken. But it’s important to remember that just as it was then, so it is now. No one will be counted worthy based on his or her own merits. We pray for our salvation and are made worthy by accepting the Lord’s death as payment for our sins and believing in His resurrection, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy (Hebr. 10:14).
Now you can see that the partial fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy, found in the first century destruction of Jerusalem, confirmed the ultimate fulfillment of all that He said would happen soon to the entire world. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. (This is an expansion of a study I originally posted on 08-24-13).
Students of prophecy often pay more attention to Matthew’s version of the Olivet Discourse because of its greater length and detail. But when we bypass Luke’s account, we miss one third of the Lord’s message. That’s because the disciples asked the Lord three questions and in Matthew 24 He only answered the last two. Also, it’s Luke’s answer to their first question that confirms the whole message as it relates to the End Times.
Here’s why. When a prophet revealed events that would take place beyond the lifetimes of the people he was speaking to, the Lord often provided a short term partial fulfillment to validate the distant prophecy. This is because He had told the people that if what a prophet said didn’t come true, then the people were not to fear him, for he hadn’t spoken for the Lord. (Deut 18:21-22)
There are numerous partial fulfillments in Scripture that would serve as good examples of this, but perhaps the clearest one comes from John 5:43. Speaking to Israel, Jesus said, “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.” He was referring to the anti-Christ, who many in Israel will believe to be the Messiah when he comes on the scene at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week. But just before Jesus was handed over to be executed, Pilate offered to free Him as a sign of Roman mercy, traditionally expressed on Passover. He gave the people a choice, the innocent Jesus who came in His Father’s name, or a convicted killer named Barabbas who came in his own name. The people chose Barabbas. It was the partial fulfillment that validated the Lord’s prophecy of Israel and the anti-Christ in the 70th Week.
And as we’ll see, the destruction of Jerusalem in 69AD was the partial fulfillment that validated the Lord’s prophecy of the End Times. Let’s take a look.
Luke 21:5-36
Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” (Luke 21:5-7)According to Mark 13:3, it was Peter, James, John and Andrew who asked. And in Matt. 24:3 we can read their complete question. “When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
This is our first hint that things will be different in Luke’s account. He only has the disciples asking the first question, the one about their immediate future.
As we get started, it’s important to understand that none of the gospel writers thought of themselves strictly as historians. Had the Lord only wanted to document history, one gospel account would have been sufficient. Instead, each writer was assigned a different audience, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tailored his account to meet the needs of that audience. Each also portrayed Jesus a little differently to show a particular side of Him. Matthew wrote to the Jews showing them that Jesus was their Messiah-King, the Lion of Judah. Mark wrote to the Romans, describing Jesus as the humble Servant of the Lord. Luke wrote to the Greeks, portraying Jesus as the Son of Man, and John wrote to the Church identifying Jesus as the Son of God.
Among other things, this was the fulfillment of four Old Testament prophecies of a figure God called “The Branch”, a messianic reference. In Jeremiah 23:5 the Branch is called the King. In Zechariah 3:8 He’s the Servant. In Zechariah 6:12 He’s the Man and in Isaiah 4:2 He’s the Branch of the Lord. In each case the word Branch is capitalized. OK, now let’s get to the Lord’s answer.
He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:8-11)
In the beginning, His answer sounds a lot like those in Matthew 24:4-7 and Mark 13:5-8. But that’s about to change.
“But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.” (Luke 21:12-19)
These verses clearly describe the lives of the Apostles in the earliest days of the Church. Peter and John testified before the Sanhedrin. Paul was on both sides of this prophecy, first attacking Christians with a vengeance and after his conversion bearing witness to leaders like Felix, Festus, and Herod Agrippa. Of the original 12 disciples, only John died of natural causes, and all of them suffered through the most terrifying forms of torture without ever recanting a single word of their testimony.
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-24)
Once again, the bulk of this passage is identical to Matthew’s account, but there are two striking differences showing us that they’re not describing the same event. First, in Matthew 24:15 the warning sign that it’s time to flee is the Abomination of Desolation standing in the Holy Place. Here it’s the positioning of the Roman army around Jerusalem.
Normally it would be too late to flee when a besieging army could be seen encircling a city. But in 68-69AD the political situation in Rome was unstable to say the least. The former general of the Roman armies in the Middle East was a man named Titus Vespasian. He had recently turned his command over to his son, also named Titus, so he could position himself to become the next Emperor. (This came to pass upon the death of Nero in 68, and Vespasian was named Emperor on July 1, 69.) He had been concerned that he would need more military backing to make his claim good, so even though the legions now under his son’s command had already begun their siege of Jerusalem, Vespasian ordered them to disengage and return to Rome. When they began pulling back to prepare for the journey, the believers in Jerusalem who had been taught the Lord’s warning hastened to escape the city.
But before the Romans could leave entirely, Titus Vespasian sent word to his son that the troops wouldn’t be needed after all and ordered them to resume their siege of Jerusalem. By then all the believers had escaped.
In the month we call August of 69 AD the walls were breached and the Temple was captured. The interior furnishings caught fire and the heat caused the gold plating on the wooden ceiling beams to melt. As the liquid gold ran down the walls it flowed into the cracks between the stones. When the fire had gone out and the stones had cooled, the Roman soldiers tore the ruins apart stone by stone to get the gold that had flowed between them and solidified. Not one stone was left standing on another, in fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy (also in Luke 19:43-44).
In 70 AD the Roman army completed its conquest of the Holy Land in the siege of Masada. Although over one million Jews had perished, according to tradition not a single believer died in the destruction of Jerusalem. (Some historical accounts place the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple one year earlier in 68AD but the general consensus is that it happened as I’ve described it.)
The second difference in the two accounts is that while Matthew’s version ends with the 2nd Coming and is world wide in its focus, Luke describes the Jewish diaspora and the ensuing control of Jerusalem by the Gentiles. In short, Luke’s account has so far been confined to describing events concerning the fall of Jerusalem. He was describing the short term partial fulfillment within the lifetimes of the Lord’s audience that validates the ultimate fulfillment at the End of the Age.
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)
Suddenly the Lord expanded His answer to include the whole world and the End of the Age. Those who are alive on Earth when the signs He described begin to happen are to understand that the culminating event will be the Lord’s return, just like Matthew and Mark said. And believers are told that when we first begin to see the signs, we should start looking at the sky in expectation, because the Lord will be on His way for us. Notice how the narrative changes from the third person, “men will faint from terror” and “they will see the Son of Man coming” to the second person, “lift up your heads” and “your redemption is drawing near“. He was distinguishing between believers and the rest of the world.
And pay particular attention to how the focus changes from the end of the sequence, “they will see the Son of Man coming“, to its beginning “when these things begin to happen“. If you didn’t already know it from Paul’s teaching you wouldn’t recognize that He’s hinting at two separate events, the Rapture and the 2nd Coming. But since you do, you can. And you can also see that the second coming is at the end of the sequence, but our redemption (rapture) will take place at its beginning.
He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
“I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:29-36)
As in Matthew’s account, the fig tree parable is not meant to signify Israel, but the speed with which these events will unfold once they begin. The fig tree was the last one to get its leaves in the spring, so they knew when they saw leaves sprouting on the fig trees, that summer was really close. In the same way, the span of time between the beginning of the End Times signs and the Lord’s return will be relatively short.
I think this summary was meant both for the generation alive during the fall of Jerusalem and the one that’s here at the End of the Age. Thirty five years after the Lord spoke these words, the Romans began their three year campaign to complete the overthrow of the Jewish nation. Many who were taught this prophecy by the very men who got it straight from the Lord’s mouth were still alive when this happened. And at the End of the Age many who are alive as these signs begin to appear will still be alive at their conclusion.
The last sentence is especially meaningful. “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” By watching for the sign of the Roman armies encircling Jerusalem and praying for deliverance (from all that was about to happen), believers on Earth at the time were able to escape the death and destruction of Jerusalem’s judgment. Just so, by watching for the End Times signs and praying for deliverance, the believers on Earth in our time will be able to escape from the death and destruction of Earth’s judgment (to stand before the Son of Man).
As you know, I don’t believe the Lord ever gave a clear teaching on the Rapture of the Church. But with two brief mentions, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28) and “pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man ” (Luke 21:36) He gave the clearest hints of His entire earthly ministry that the Church will be delivered from the end times judgments. (60 years later, when He visited John on the Isle of Patmos, He confirmed this, saying, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (Rev. 3:10). Before the end times judgments begin we’ll be standing before the Son of Man, having met Him in the air (1 Thes. 4:16-17).
The King James version of Luke 21:36 reads “pray that you may be counted worthy to escape” and there are those who use this verse to justify a partial rapture, saying only those believers who are worthy will be taken. But it’s important to remember that just as it was then, so it is now. No one will be counted worthy based on his or her own merits. We pray for our salvation and are made worthy by accepting the Lord’s death as payment for our sins and believing in His resurrection, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy (Hebr. 10:14).
Now you can see that the partial fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy, found in the first century destruction of Jerusalem, confirmed the ultimate fulfillment of all that He said would happen soon to the entire world. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. (This is an expansion of a study I originally posted on 08-24-13).
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
What do you know?
Reblogged from servehiminthewaiting.com
Through out the centuries, God has had various ways He has dealt with mankind. In the garden of Eden, there was total innocence, and God walked with Adam and Even personally in the Garden. But when they disbelieved God about not eating of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and Eve was deceived by the serpent, (Adam was not deceived), then with the knowledge of sin, in the next Covenant man was guided by and judged on the basis of conscience. He knew what was evil, and yet, man still sinned.
In fact man was so sinful that we don’t even get out of Genesis before God has destroyed all but eight humans in a global flood. And not only that, but still before we get past Genesis, mankind is so rebellious that they have built a monument to themselves in the form of the Tower of Babel under human government, then a period when God made a Covenant with Abraham, and then a different covenant with Moses when He gave the law. At the end of the Old Testament, and through 400 years of silence on God’s part, as far as direct interaction with mankind through prophets, priests and kings, there came a period of excessive Grace. That is the condition that began with Messiah’s death, and is still in place in present time.
A term has arisen for these various conditions of God’s dealing with mankind, which is “dispensations” which, like the word Trinity, is not in the Bible, but the principle is clearly established. Same as the word Rapture although that word was in the Latin translations.
The purpose of these different ways and means of dealing with man, has been to prove (to man himself) that under each and every circumstance, that it is not the “environment” that leads to corruption and sin, but rather a condition of the human heart. Even during the Millennial reign of Christ on Earth, when Satan has been imprisoned for a thousand years and thereby unable to deceive the human heart, as soon Satan is released, the scriptures tell us he will succeed in leading yet another (and final) rebellion against the authority of God.
Why will God allow this? Because it will prove that the thoughts of man’s heart are only evil, left to themselves and their own thoughts and devices. Man cannot redeem himself. Man will gravitate toward darkness, rather than light, so there would be no “enlightenment”, no attainment of “godhood”.
All through history, salvation is solely in Jesus, though in the Old Testament, man was tasked with keeping the law, it was not for salvation, but rather for purposes of showing man his own sinfulness and inability to keep it. Their system of sacrifice was merely a pre-figuring of the death of the perfect lamb, Jesus, which at the time was yet future.
Read more: Serve Him in the Waiting
Sunday, July 5, 2015
A Letter From James, Part 3
Reblogged from
Grace thru Faith
This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series A Letter From James
In
part 3 we continue reviewing the instructions James gave to the early
church on how to properly live the Christian life. Remember, this letter
might have been the first written teaching the Church ever received,
predating the Gospels and Paul’s letters, with the possible exception of
his letter to the Galatians. This time we’ll cover chapter 3. Let’s
begin.
None of us is perfect. We all say and do things we later discover to have been in error. For most, this is a simple matter of correcting themselves. But for teachers, any error on our part goes straight into the minds of our listeners and may influence their understanding of God’s word for the rest of their life. Those who feel they’ve been called to teach need to have the ability to speak clearly and concisely, relaying only what God has conveyed to them. We also need to be aware that He’s listening and will hold us accountable for our teaching. It’s not enough for us to fall back on Paul’s admonition to our listeners that they check the Scriptures for themselves to see if we’re speaking the truth (Acts 17:11).
We will also be required to justify everything we’ve said.
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell (James 3:3-6).
Paul took up this same thought in his letters. He cautioned us to rid ourselves of all anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from our lips (Colossians 3:8). Our conversations should not be laced with obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place for believers, but rather with thanksgiving for all we’ve been given (Ephes. 5:4).
He warned us not to let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths but only what is helpful for building others up that it may benefit those who listen. Doing otherwise grieves the Holy Spirit who is sealed within us until the day of redemption (Ephes. 4:29-30).
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water (James 3:7-12).
Jesus said the words that come out of our mouth originate in our heart and these are the things that defile us (Matt. 15:18). Since what we say is a reflection of what’s in our heart, and since the heart of natural man is incurably wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), then the only way we can change what comes out of our mouth is to change what we bring into our heart. For that reason, I believe listening to what comes out of our own mouth can provide the clearest sign that we are truly a believer under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Remember, James cautioned us to be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22). Let’s be sure that what comes our of our mouth is consistent with what’s in our heart.
Let’s remember that James was not referring to keeping the Law when he spoke of a good life filled with deeds (works) done in humility. The Pharisees showed that keeping the Law did not result in humility, but in arrogance and pride. They looked down on the less fortunate and criticized Jesus for associating with them (Matt. 9:10-11). They believed that if the poor simply lived according to pharisaical standards they would be blessed accordingly. Therefore they had no excuse for their misery and deserved neither compassion nor help.
It’s natural for humans to be self centered and envious of what we perceive to be the success of others. It’s part of our sin nature. James said these attitudes are unspiritual and demonic. They promote envy instead of humility and selfishness instead of generosity, and are behind all of man’s evil practices.
Only believers realize that before coming to the Lord we really had nothing of value to Him and yet He gave us everything just because we asked. This is what promotes the desire in our heart to share what we have with others. Our kindness and generosity toward others shows the humility that comes from knowing we didn’t deserve to be saved, and is a demonstration of our overflowing gratitude for the free gift we’ve received.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness (James 3:17-18).
The wisdom that comes from heaven is not encumbered by ulterior motives and hidden agendas. Paul said the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:23).
To become the kind of person they describe, we have to put off our old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires and be made new in the attitudes of our minds (Ephes. 4:22-23).
This is the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, who is sealed within every born again believer. Only He can produce the kind of change in us that allows us to put aside our self centeredness and walk in humility, performing good deeds at every opportunity.
You may be surprised to learn that the origin of this thought is the Old Testament. In a remarkable example that this is what God has always wanted from his people, He had the prophet Micah tell us,
He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).
Live a life pleasing to the Lord and delight in helping those in need, all in a spirit of humility, out of gratitude for what you’ve been given. More next time. 07-04-15
Taming the Tongue
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check (James 3:1-2).None of us is perfect. We all say and do things we later discover to have been in error. For most, this is a simple matter of correcting themselves. But for teachers, any error on our part goes straight into the minds of our listeners and may influence their understanding of God’s word for the rest of their life. Those who feel they’ve been called to teach need to have the ability to speak clearly and concisely, relaying only what God has conveyed to them. We also need to be aware that He’s listening and will hold us accountable for our teaching. It’s not enough for us to fall back on Paul’s admonition to our listeners that they check the Scriptures for themselves to see if we’re speaking the truth (Acts 17:11).
We will also be required to justify everything we’ve said.
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell (James 3:3-6).
Paul took up this same thought in his letters. He cautioned us to rid ourselves of all anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from our lips (Colossians 3:8). Our conversations should not be laced with obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place for believers, but rather with thanksgiving for all we’ve been given (Ephes. 5:4).
He warned us not to let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths but only what is helpful for building others up that it may benefit those who listen. Doing otherwise grieves the Holy Spirit who is sealed within us until the day of redemption (Ephes. 4:29-30).
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water (James 3:7-12).
Jesus said the words that come out of our mouth originate in our heart and these are the things that defile us (Matt. 15:18). Since what we say is a reflection of what’s in our heart, and since the heart of natural man is incurably wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), then the only way we can change what comes out of our mouth is to change what we bring into our heart. For that reason, I believe listening to what comes out of our own mouth can provide the clearest sign that we are truly a believer under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Remember, James cautioned us to be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22). Let’s be sure that what comes our of our mouth is consistent with what’s in our heart.
Two Kinds of Wisdom
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice (James 3:13-16).Let’s remember that James was not referring to keeping the Law when he spoke of a good life filled with deeds (works) done in humility. The Pharisees showed that keeping the Law did not result in humility, but in arrogance and pride. They looked down on the less fortunate and criticized Jesus for associating with them (Matt. 9:10-11). They believed that if the poor simply lived according to pharisaical standards they would be blessed accordingly. Therefore they had no excuse for their misery and deserved neither compassion nor help.
It’s natural for humans to be self centered and envious of what we perceive to be the success of others. It’s part of our sin nature. James said these attitudes are unspiritual and demonic. They promote envy instead of humility and selfishness instead of generosity, and are behind all of man’s evil practices.
Only believers realize that before coming to the Lord we really had nothing of value to Him and yet He gave us everything just because we asked. This is what promotes the desire in our heart to share what we have with others. Our kindness and generosity toward others shows the humility that comes from knowing we didn’t deserve to be saved, and is a demonstration of our overflowing gratitude for the free gift we’ve received.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness (James 3:17-18).
The wisdom that comes from heaven is not encumbered by ulterior motives and hidden agendas. Paul said the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:23).
In Closing
No mere intellectual assent that God exists or even that Jesus came to teach us how to live a life pleasing to God can produce the changes in a person’s attitude that both James and Paul are talking about here.To become the kind of person they describe, we have to put off our old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires and be made new in the attitudes of our minds (Ephes. 4:22-23).
This is the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, who is sealed within every born again believer. Only He can produce the kind of change in us that allows us to put aside our self centeredness and walk in humility, performing good deeds at every opportunity.
You may be surprised to learn that the origin of this thought is the Old Testament. In a remarkable example that this is what God has always wanted from his people, He had the prophet Micah tell us,
He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).
Live a life pleasing to the Lord and delight in helping those in need, all in a spirit of humility, out of gratitude for what you’ve been given. More next time. 07-04-15
Friday, July 3, 2015
The Case For Eternal Punishment
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
Grace thru Faith
“And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” (Isaiah 66:24)
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)
Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Matt. 25:41,46)
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:14-15)
For most of mankind’s existence the belief that punishment for unbelievers is eternal was taken for granted. The above verses are the basis for this point of view. It’s become known as the traditional view of hell.
Recently an alternative, called the conditional view, has come on the scene. This view is based primarily on Rev. 20:12 which says the unsaved dead will be judged according to their works. Proponents of the conditional view interpret this verse to mean that while no unbeliever can go to heaven, their punishment in hell will be based on the quality of their lives while on Earth. They contend that those who’ve led meritorious lives on Earth but aren’t believers will receive less severe punishment for a shorter period of time than say a Hitler or Stalin before being destroyed altogether. They claim that this view makes more sense because it shows God to be fair, making the punishment fit the crime so to speak, before mercifully ending their existence altogether.
On the surface it seems to make sense and some people are more comfortable with this view than the traditional one that appears excessively harsh to them and serves no purpose other than making people suffer. But is the conditional view the result of greater enlightenment in our understanding of Scripture or just another in a long line of attempts to re-cast God’s word into a kinder gentler document as it pertains to those who’ve rejected Him?
What these folks don’t seem to realize is that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). No amount of good works and kindness toward others will make up for the deficiency of unbelief. The truth is they will have failed to do the only thing God required of them.
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28-29)
If God is going to judge unbelievers by how they’ve done the work He requires of them, it’ll all be over pretty quickly because without belief in Jesus even the good they might have accomplished is considered evil in God’s sight. How do I know that? Read the Lord’s own words;
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt. 7:22-23)
They will claim to have performed miracles in His name, but the Lord will deny ever knowing them, calling them evil doers. So much for the value of a meritorious life apart from faith in Him!
And in John 15:5 He said, “I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Unbelievers don’t think rejecting the Lord is a big deal because they don’t realize that their rejection of His sacrifice for their sins has eternal consequences. Because of their unbelief they’re only thinking in terms of a 70-80 year lifespan, not an eternal existence. So let’s take a look at this from the eternal perspective and try to understand how different it is.
First let’s understand that the man who is executed or given life in prison for taking someone’s life is not being taught that murder is wrong. He’s suffering the consequence of his crime by forfeiting the balance of his physical life . It’s an adaptation of the Biblical injunction, a life for a life (Lev. 24:17). On Earth we’re in a physical environment so it’s a physical life for a physical life.
But a person who rejects the pardon God provided for him has in effect murdered his own soul and spirit. Both are eternal, so there has to be an eternal consequence to fit the crime. Our physical bodies are only intended to serve a temporary purpose, and that’s to house the eternal part of us for a little while. Compared to our eternal existence, putting our physical existence to death is a minor infraction. Refusing to accept the Lord’s completed work on the cross as payment in full for our sins is a crime against our eternal life and therefore the only just punishment is eternal punishment.
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
A surface reading of that verse alone might lead one to conclude that Paul was just talking about the death of the body here. After all it was sin entering the world that caused man’s physical life to change from immortal to mortal.
But if we read on and take the entire passage in context we see Paul wasn’t just talking about physical death. For example, in Romans 5:18 He wrote, “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.”
Here we can see he had to be talking about eternal life because the Lord’s one act of righteousness did not prevent the physical bodies of believers from dying.
Therefore, since we’re all sinners we are all condemned. But by accepting the Lord’s death as payment in full for our sins we can escape condemnation and death and receive justification and eternal life instead.
When Lazarus died he was carried to a place the Jews called Abraham’s side because Abraham, the father of the faithful, was there to comfort them. But when the rich man died he went to hell (Greek, hades). Abraham and the rich man could see each other and communicate back and forth so we know Abraham’s side and Hades were in the same general location.
In the Old Testament these two destinations were known by the single name of Sheol, the “abode of the dead.” Upon dying, everyone went there. It’s where Jonah’s spirit went while his body languished in the belly of the whale (Jonah 2:2,6).
From the New Testament we learn that Sheol contained two compartments, separated by a wide chasm, impossible to cross (Luke 16:26). One side was a place of comfort where believers went to await Heaven’s opening after the cross. That’s where Lazarus was. In Greek it was called Paradise, a name that evoked memories of the Garden of Eden.
The other side was a place of torment reserved for unbelievers, and that’s where the rich man was.
After His resurrection, Jesus took the spirits of the believing dead from Paradise with Him to Heaven (Ephes. 4:8). Those who are in hell will remain there in torment until their final judgment at the end of the Millennium, which is still over 1,000 years in the future to us. At that time, Rev. 20:14 tells us, death and Hades will give up the dead who are in them and each person will be judged according to what has been recorded in the books kept in Heaven. Everyone whose name cannot be found in the book of life will be thrown into the Lake of fire, which is the Second death. The Lake of Fire is the final destiny of all unbelievers. Now, let’s see how long they’ll remain there.
At the time of the 2nd coming, the Lord will conduct a judgment of all humans still alive on earth (Matt. 25:31-46). People from all over the world will be brought to the Lord for His determination of their spiritual condition. Those He judges to be believers will be welcomed into the Millennial Kingdom (Matt. 25:34) where they will help repopulate the earth. Those who are not will be taken away to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41). Rev. 19:20 and Rev. 20:10 tell us this is a fiery lake of burning sulfur, while Rev. 20:14 simply calls it the lake of fire. They all refer to the same place, the final destiny of all unbelievers.
It’s a mistake to just read Rev. 20:10 and conclude that only the devil, the anti-Christ and the false prophet will be tormented forever. It’s a mistake to just read Matt. 25:46 and conclude that only unbelieving tribulation survivors will be punished forever. And it’s a mistake to just read Daniel 12:2 and conclude that only unbelievers from Old Testament times will suffer shame and everlasting contempt (abhorrence). All unbelievers from all ages will go to the same place, the place of eternal punishment, and all will suffer eternally.
It’s the same with our sins. Punishment is not an alternative method unbelievers can use to pay the penalty for their sins, it’s the consequence they’ll suffer for their inability to pay the penalty. No matter how long people suffer in eternity, they will still owe the same penalty as they did on day one. The only acceptable payment for sin is the blood of an innocent person, and nothing else will suffice. Hebrews 9:22 explains that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore no one can “work off” his or her penalty through suffering.
This is the fatal flaw in the Catholic concept of purgatory. It calls for a person who dies with certain unconfessed sins to “work off” the penalty for those sins through their suffering and the intercessory prayers of living relatives in order to qualify for entry into heaven. But there’s only one way for humans to qualify for entry into heaven and that’s by accepting the blood of Jesus as payment for our sins (John 3:3). Once we do that all of our sins are covered (Colossians 2:13-14). But we have to do it before we die (Hebr. 9:27) or else it’s too late.]
It’s also the flaw in the conditional view of hell. If the blood of Jesus is the only way to be released from the penalty for our sins, then there’s no release for those who reject it. No matter how numerous or noteworthy, the “good works” unbelievers perform during their lifetime can’t be applied to reduce their sentence and neither can the “time served” after they die, so they’ll always owe the same penalty as they did on day one of their incarceration.
The bottom line is the only acceptable payment for our sins is the blood of a sinless man, and the only sinless man is Jesus. He died for all the sins of mankind (John 1:29) but only those who choose to accept His death as payment for their sins can be forgiven (John 3:16).
Refusing to accept it leaves everyone else unable to pay and requires that they be incarcerated. Since they’re eternal beings and have committed crimes against eternity, and since they’ll never be able to pay, they’ll have to remain incarcerated forever.
It is my fervent prayer that if you’re reading this and you have not accepted the Lord’s death as payment in full for your sins, you will not let another day go by without doing so. None of us is privileged to know the number of our days. Each new one could be our last. Please don’t tarry. Selah 05-30-15.
Grace thru Faith
“And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” (Isaiah 66:24)
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)
Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Matt. 25:41,46)
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:14-15)
For most of mankind’s existence the belief that punishment for unbelievers is eternal was taken for granted. The above verses are the basis for this point of view. It’s become known as the traditional view of hell.
Recently an alternative, called the conditional view, has come on the scene. This view is based primarily on Rev. 20:12 which says the unsaved dead will be judged according to their works. Proponents of the conditional view interpret this verse to mean that while no unbeliever can go to heaven, their punishment in hell will be based on the quality of their lives while on Earth. They contend that those who’ve led meritorious lives on Earth but aren’t believers will receive less severe punishment for a shorter period of time than say a Hitler or Stalin before being destroyed altogether. They claim that this view makes more sense because it shows God to be fair, making the punishment fit the crime so to speak, before mercifully ending their existence altogether.
On the surface it seems to make sense and some people are more comfortable with this view than the traditional one that appears excessively harsh to them and serves no purpose other than making people suffer. But is the conditional view the result of greater enlightenment in our understanding of Scripture or just another in a long line of attempts to re-cast God’s word into a kinder gentler document as it pertains to those who’ve rejected Him?
My Ways Are Not Your Ways
A
closer look reveals that the idea of a conditional hell is decidedly
biased toward the world view of unbelievers. Conditional hell proponents
say, “All they did is not believe that Jesus died for them. Other than
that many unbelievers tried to live a good life and helped a fair
amount of people along the way. What did they do to deserve eternal
punishment?” (Notice the emphasis on good works here?)What these folks don’t seem to realize is that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). No amount of good works and kindness toward others will make up for the deficiency of unbelief. The truth is they will have failed to do the only thing God required of them.
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28-29)
If God is going to judge unbelievers by how they’ve done the work He requires of them, it’ll all be over pretty quickly because without belief in Jesus even the good they might have accomplished is considered evil in God’s sight. How do I know that? Read the Lord’s own words;
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt. 7:22-23)
They will claim to have performed miracles in His name, but the Lord will deny ever knowing them, calling them evil doers. So much for the value of a meritorious life apart from faith in Him!
And in John 15:5 He said, “I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Unbelievers don’t think rejecting the Lord is a big deal because they don’t realize that their rejection of His sacrifice for their sins has eternal consequences. Because of their unbelief they’re only thinking in terms of a 70-80 year lifespan, not an eternal existence. So let’s take a look at this from the eternal perspective and try to understand how different it is.
First let’s understand that the man who is executed or given life in prison for taking someone’s life is not being taught that murder is wrong. He’s suffering the consequence of his crime by forfeiting the balance of his physical life . It’s an adaptation of the Biblical injunction, a life for a life (Lev. 24:17). On Earth we’re in a physical environment so it’s a physical life for a physical life.
But a person who rejects the pardon God provided for him has in effect murdered his own soul and spirit. Both are eternal, so there has to be an eternal consequence to fit the crime. Our physical bodies are only intended to serve a temporary purpose, and that’s to house the eternal part of us for a little while. Compared to our eternal existence, putting our physical existence to death is a minor infraction. Refusing to accept the Lord’s completed work on the cross as payment in full for our sins is a crime against our eternal life and therefore the only just punishment is eternal punishment.
Is Everyone Destined For Hell?
Recently
someone challenged me to prove from the Bible that all mankind is
destined for hell. He said by that he meant an actual place where one
will spend eternity. This person, like many others, doesn’t realize
that hell is not an eternal destination, but only a temporary place of
torment while one awaits his or her final judgment. So first let’s see
if there’s a place that says everyone is destined for hell.“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
A surface reading of that verse alone might lead one to conclude that Paul was just talking about the death of the body here. After all it was sin entering the world that caused man’s physical life to change from immortal to mortal.
But if we read on and take the entire passage in context we see Paul wasn’t just talking about physical death. For example, in Romans 5:18 He wrote, “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.”
Here we can see he had to be talking about eternal life because the Lord’s one act of righteousness did not prevent the physical bodies of believers from dying.
Therefore, since we’re all sinners we are all condemned. But by accepting the Lord’s death as payment in full for our sins we can escape condemnation and death and receive justification and eternal life instead.
What Does The Bible Say?
The account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
gives us the Bible’s clearest picture of what happens after we die. In
comparing what happened to these men, the differences in their
experience become obvious.When Lazarus died he was carried to a place the Jews called Abraham’s side because Abraham, the father of the faithful, was there to comfort them. But when the rich man died he went to hell (Greek, hades). Abraham and the rich man could see each other and communicate back and forth so we know Abraham’s side and Hades were in the same general location.
In the Old Testament these two destinations were known by the single name of Sheol, the “abode of the dead.” Upon dying, everyone went there. It’s where Jonah’s spirit went while his body languished in the belly of the whale (Jonah 2:2,6).
From the New Testament we learn that Sheol contained two compartments, separated by a wide chasm, impossible to cross (Luke 16:26). One side was a place of comfort where believers went to await Heaven’s opening after the cross. That’s where Lazarus was. In Greek it was called Paradise, a name that evoked memories of the Garden of Eden.
The other side was a place of torment reserved for unbelievers, and that’s where the rich man was.
After His resurrection, Jesus took the spirits of the believing dead from Paradise with Him to Heaven (Ephes. 4:8). Those who are in hell will remain there in torment until their final judgment at the end of the Millennium, which is still over 1,000 years in the future to us. At that time, Rev. 20:14 tells us, death and Hades will give up the dead who are in them and each person will be judged according to what has been recorded in the books kept in Heaven. Everyone whose name cannot be found in the book of life will be thrown into the Lake of fire, which is the Second death. The Lake of Fire is the final destiny of all unbelievers. Now, let’s see how long they’ll remain there.
At the time of the 2nd coming, the Lord will conduct a judgment of all humans still alive on earth (Matt. 25:31-46). People from all over the world will be brought to the Lord for His determination of their spiritual condition. Those He judges to be believers will be welcomed into the Millennial Kingdom (Matt. 25:34) where they will help repopulate the earth. Those who are not will be taken away to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41). Rev. 19:20 and Rev. 20:10 tell us this is a fiery lake of burning sulfur, while Rev. 20:14 simply calls it the lake of fire. They all refer to the same place, the final destiny of all unbelievers.
It’s a mistake to just read Rev. 20:10 and conclude that only the devil, the anti-Christ and the false prophet will be tormented forever. It’s a mistake to just read Matt. 25:46 and conclude that only unbelieving tribulation survivors will be punished forever. And it’s a mistake to just read Daniel 12:2 and conclude that only unbelievers from Old Testament times will suffer shame and everlasting contempt (abhorrence). All unbelievers from all ages will go to the same place, the place of eternal punishment, and all will suffer eternally.
And That’s Not All
But there’s
an even more powerful legal argument for eternal punishment that for
centuries was modeled in human existence as well. Until the mid 19th
Century it was common practice in many parts of the world to incarcerate
a person for failure to pay his or her debts. Jail time was not an
alternative method of repayment, it was the consequence they suffered
for their inability to pay their debts. No matter how long they were
locked up they still owed as much of their debt as they did on their
first day behind bars. They could only be freed by repaying the money
they owed. Jesus referred to this practice in His parable of the
unmerciful servant (Matt. 18:23-35).It’s the same with our sins. Punishment is not an alternative method unbelievers can use to pay the penalty for their sins, it’s the consequence they’ll suffer for their inability to pay the penalty. No matter how long people suffer in eternity, they will still owe the same penalty as they did on day one. The only acceptable payment for sin is the blood of an innocent person, and nothing else will suffice. Hebrews 9:22 explains that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore no one can “work off” his or her penalty through suffering.
This is the fatal flaw in the Catholic concept of purgatory. It calls for a person who dies with certain unconfessed sins to “work off” the penalty for those sins through their suffering and the intercessory prayers of living relatives in order to qualify for entry into heaven. But there’s only one way for humans to qualify for entry into heaven and that’s by accepting the blood of Jesus as payment for our sins (John 3:3). Once we do that all of our sins are covered (Colossians 2:13-14). But we have to do it before we die (Hebr. 9:27) or else it’s too late.]
It’s also the flaw in the conditional view of hell. If the blood of Jesus is the only way to be released from the penalty for our sins, then there’s no release for those who reject it. No matter how numerous or noteworthy, the “good works” unbelievers perform during their lifetime can’t be applied to reduce their sentence and neither can the “time served” after they die, so they’ll always owe the same penalty as they did on day one of their incarceration.
The bottom line is the only acceptable payment for our sins is the blood of a sinless man, and the only sinless man is Jesus. He died for all the sins of mankind (John 1:29) but only those who choose to accept His death as payment for their sins can be forgiven (John 3:16).
Refusing to accept it leaves everyone else unable to pay and requires that they be incarcerated. Since they’re eternal beings and have committed crimes against eternity, and since they’ll never be able to pay, they’ll have to remain incarcerated forever.
It is my fervent prayer that if you’re reading this and you have not accepted the Lord’s death as payment in full for your sins, you will not let another day go by without doing so. None of us is privileged to know the number of our days. Each new one could be our last. Please don’t tarry. Selah 05-30-15.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
The Story Behind The Redeemer - Jack Jelley
Commentary by Jack Kelley
As many of you already know, my newest book, The Redeemer, became available this week. Since it’s a little different from my previous efforts I want to give you some background on why I wrote it.
There are three reasons why I think it makes sense for someone in my position to consider this. First, of course, is the rapture of the Church. Without Christians around to maintain them, Christian websites would soon disappear too. And try as I might, I just can’t imagine asking one of my non-believing friends to take over in my absence if I should suddenly disappear, although that could certainly be the spark to ignite a conversation of a different sort. The problem is if the conversation resulted in the friend’s conversion I’d be right back in the same situation. I’d have to find someone who is not a believer now, but was guaranteed to become one right after the rapture. So far the Lord hasn’t revealed such a person to me.
The second reason is an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack. A nuclear warhead detonated in the atmosphere above the US would send an electromagnetic pulse hurtling to Earth at the speed of light. Depending on the height, the location, and the power of the explosion it could destroy all computers and other electronic devices in the US instantly. No more internet. No more electronics of any kind. Experts say this is where we are most vulnerable to terrorists because the capability already exists, it’s a relatively inexpensive weapon, and we have no defense against it.
The third reason is something that’s also in the works. The UN is persisting in their effort to gain control of and regulate the internet. One of their stated goals is to eliminate hate speech, but as we know in some people’s view hate speech includes Biblical Christianity. This is partly due to the fact that we’re opposed to homosexuality and abortion, and believe that non-believers will be condemned. If the UN gets the power it wants, Bible study websites like ours could soon be censored to the point of ineffectiveness.
For these reasons, I concluded that we should also pay attention to some of the more traditional means of mass communications, and that includes writing books. Books are more durable. Once they’re in circulation no one can push a button somewhere and erase them. In short they’re better suited to times of political uncertainty.
The majority of today’s believers are represented by the seed that fell among thorns in Matt. 13:7, which is part of the Kingdom Parables. Jesus described them as being unfruitful because they are too concerned about the things of this world (Matt. 13:22). According to recent surveys over 90% of people who call themselves Christians fall into this category. Now I’m not questioning their salvation. I’m talking about their fruitfulness. Salvation is not a fruit bearing event. It’s what we do after we’re saved that determines our fruitfulness.
An apple tree is born because the seed that was planted in the ground has germinated and produced a new life. It grows to maturity and begins to produce apples. Although the tree was alive from the moment it sprang forth from the soil it wasn’t considered to be fruitful until it produced more of its own kind. After all, apples aren’t just for eating. They’re also for producing more apple trees.
So it is with believers. We’re born again because the seed of the gospel was planted in our heart. But although we’re a new creation from the moment we believe we’re not considered to be fruitful until we produce more of our own kind. We’re not just for singing and praising God. We’re also for producing more Christians (Matt. 28:19-20)
From this I determined that three groups of people could benefit from knowing more about what Christians believe and why we believe it. In no particular order, they are curious unbelievers, new believers, and long time believers who want to become more fruitful.
After some prayer and reflection on this, I felt like the Lord had told me what to write about and who to write it to. I divided the message into eight parts, which became the book’s eight chapters. Eight is the number of new beginnings and it’s my prayer that many who read the book will be motivated to begin their life anew, whether by deciding to become a believer, or by having their faith strengthened through a deeper understanding of what the Lord has done for them.
This
chapter is devoted to a summary of things Jesus taught us about what He
had come to do and why it was important for us to understand that He
wasn’t starting a new religion. On the contrary, He was trying to
re-establish a relationship.
As I did with my last book, I’ve included an appendix with eight of our most popular studies on prophecy, eternal security, and faith. These will facilitate continued growth and understanding.
All that said, I think The Redeemer will accomplish its stated goals in the life of anyone who reads it with a sincere desire to learn. I also think it will make an ideal gift for a person who has expressed interest in our faith, whether as a prelude to a personal discussion or to supplement one you’ve already begun.
Of course, you’d expect me to say something like that. After all, I wrote the book. The best way to see if I’m right is to get a copy and read it for yourself. Selah 01-26-13
As many of you already know, my newest book, The Redeemer, became available this week. Since it’s a little different from my previous efforts I want to give you some background on why I wrote it.
Why Did You Do That?
The
current trend among ministries like ours is to tap into all the
different social networking media in an effort to broaden their
audiences. And while we’ve begun to do that as well, we’ve also been
taking a look at what the world would be like if suddenly there were no
internet ministries.There are three reasons why I think it makes sense for someone in my position to consider this. First, of course, is the rapture of the Church. Without Christians around to maintain them, Christian websites would soon disappear too. And try as I might, I just can’t imagine asking one of my non-believing friends to take over in my absence if I should suddenly disappear, although that could certainly be the spark to ignite a conversation of a different sort. The problem is if the conversation resulted in the friend’s conversion I’d be right back in the same situation. I’d have to find someone who is not a believer now, but was guaranteed to become one right after the rapture. So far the Lord hasn’t revealed such a person to me.
The second reason is an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack. A nuclear warhead detonated in the atmosphere above the US would send an electromagnetic pulse hurtling to Earth at the speed of light. Depending on the height, the location, and the power of the explosion it could destroy all computers and other electronic devices in the US instantly. No more internet. No more electronics of any kind. Experts say this is where we are most vulnerable to terrorists because the capability already exists, it’s a relatively inexpensive weapon, and we have no defense against it.
The third reason is something that’s also in the works. The UN is persisting in their effort to gain control of and regulate the internet. One of their stated goals is to eliminate hate speech, but as we know in some people’s view hate speech includes Biblical Christianity. This is partly due to the fact that we’re opposed to homosexuality and abortion, and believe that non-believers will be condemned. If the UN gets the power it wants, Bible study websites like ours could soon be censored to the point of ineffectiveness.
For these reasons, I concluded that we should also pay attention to some of the more traditional means of mass communications, and that includes writing books. Books are more durable. Once they’re in circulation no one can push a button somewhere and erase them. In short they’re better suited to times of political uncertainty.
What’s It All About?
So
then the question became what to write about. My experience answering
Biblical questions over the past five years has taught me that a lot of
Christians really don’t know very much about our faith. At some point in
their lives they chose to become believers, but because there are so
few opportunities for meaningful discipleship, they frequently just go
on living as they had before. If someone asks them to explain their
faith, they have a hard time doing so because what little knowledge they
have is largely hearsay. And as for having a meaningful discussion with
a curious non-believer, forget about it.The majority of today’s believers are represented by the seed that fell among thorns in Matt. 13:7, which is part of the Kingdom Parables. Jesus described them as being unfruitful because they are too concerned about the things of this world (Matt. 13:22). According to recent surveys over 90% of people who call themselves Christians fall into this category. Now I’m not questioning their salvation. I’m talking about their fruitfulness. Salvation is not a fruit bearing event. It’s what we do after we’re saved that determines our fruitfulness.
An apple tree is born because the seed that was planted in the ground has germinated and produced a new life. It grows to maturity and begins to produce apples. Although the tree was alive from the moment it sprang forth from the soil it wasn’t considered to be fruitful until it produced more of its own kind. After all, apples aren’t just for eating. They’re also for producing more apple trees.
So it is with believers. We’re born again because the seed of the gospel was planted in our heart. But although we’re a new creation from the moment we believe we’re not considered to be fruitful until we produce more of our own kind. We’re not just for singing and praising God. We’re also for producing more Christians (Matt. 28:19-20)
From this I determined that three groups of people could benefit from knowing more about what Christians believe and why we believe it. In no particular order, they are curious unbelievers, new believers, and long time believers who want to become more fruitful.
After some prayer and reflection on this, I felt like the Lord had told me what to write about and who to write it to. I divided the message into eight parts, which became the book’s eight chapters. Eight is the number of new beginnings and it’s my prayer that many who read the book will be motivated to begin their life anew, whether by deciding to become a believer, or by having their faith strengthened through a deeper understanding of what the Lord has done for them.
Chapter 1. The Redeemer Is Promised
The book begins at the beginning, explaining how mankind became estranged from God and why we need a redeemer to bring us back to Him.Chapter 2. The Redeemer Awaits
Chapter two is an overview of what God was doing between the time He promised to send a redeemer and the time of His actual arrival. Think of it as a very brief summary of the Old Testament as it concerns man’s redemption.Chapter 3. The Redeemer Is Given
This is the Christmas story. To show that the Redeemer is the focus of the entire Bible I made liberal use of Old Testament prophecies that foretold of His coming.
Chapter 4. The Redeemer In Ministry
Chapter 5. The Redeemer In Victory
This is the longest chapter in the book and gives a day-by-day description of His official presentation as the Redeemer, His final days of teaching, His crucifixion, and His resurrection, eight days that changed everything between God and man.Chapter 6. The Redeemer In The Church
Following His ascension, the men He had trained and mentored began to build His Church. This chapter shows how the Church began, why and when the New Testament was written and what effect the Redeemer has had in the world. It ends with a prayer that allows those who began reading out of curiosity to become children of God.Chapter 7. The Redeemer In Prophecy
Jesus didn’t die for us just so our sins could be forgiven. He died so whoever believes in Him can have eternal life. Chapter 7 explains why Christians have a right to believe there’s a future in store for us that exceeds our wildest expectations.Chapter 8. The Redeemer Returns
We conclude with a summary of end times events that will take place after the rapture. It shows how God will fulfill the promise he made so long ago to reverse the devastating effects of sin and restore planet Earth to its original condition.In Summary
I wrote the book in simple straight forward language so even people who are not believers could see the importance of changing their lives and becoming born again. I included hundreds of Bible references within the text so new believers could use the book as a study guide to help them understand what our faith is all about. After a few hours of diligent study with nothing but this book in one hand and and a Bible in the other, a new believer can come away with a greater understanding of our faith than most seasoned veterans have. These references will also help long time believers search the Scriptures to prove whether what I’ve written is true in accordance with Acts 17:11, and rekindle the flame of faith they had at the beginning.As I did with my last book, I’ve included an appendix with eight of our most popular studies on prophecy, eternal security, and faith. These will facilitate continued growth and understanding.
All that said, I think The Redeemer will accomplish its stated goals in the life of anyone who reads it with a sincere desire to learn. I also think it will make an ideal gift for a person who has expressed interest in our faith, whether as a prelude to a personal discussion or to supplement one you’ve already begun.
Of course, you’d expect me to say something like that. After all, I wrote the book. The best way to see if I’m right is to get a copy and read it for yourself. Selah 01-26-13
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