Bible Discussion Replies PAGE 242

"To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude 1:25 KJV

The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. We're told in Hebrews 4:12 that this sword is alive, active, and sharper than any sword you can imagine. This sword divides soul and spirit and it can judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. That's our Bible.

The sword of the Lord in the Bible is a symbolic representation of God's Word and the final battle against evil

The sword is a symbol of power, protection, authority, strength, and courage. The idea of the sword of the Spirit is that the Bible is a weapon to defend against evil and to demolish strongholds of error and falsehood.

Revelation 19:15

Describes the returning King of kings and Lord of lords using the sword of the Lord to "strike down the nations"

Acts 4:12

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

King James Version (KJV)

COME LORD JESUS

You know I like how people try to prove the Bible is wrong and then proves that it is right.

Where we are today?

As we look at what is going on in the world and in the churches and congregations today, what do we see?

We see a world where sin, i.e. disobedience to God's law, is and has been multiplying as never before.

We see churches and congregations exhibiting a love for the world as the worship service has become a place for entertainment. And an abandonment of the Bible, the Word of God, as being the ultimate authority; where the church itself is the authority and not the Bible. We see a gospel being proclaimed where man is in control of their salvation and not God alonea do-it-yourself gospel where Christ has done His part and now it's up to us.

So where are we in God's time table of His plan for the churches and the world?

We are, I believe, living in the period describe in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, the Great Tribulation. A period where God's judgment has fallen upon the churches as we read in 1 Peter 4:17 and 2Thessalonians 2:1-12. And where God is preparing the world for His return on the clouds of glory at the Last Day.

It is also a time where God is reveling truth from His Word, the Bible, that has been hidden in times past as we read in Daniel 9 and Daniel 12.

Daniel 12:9 9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

But God, in this time, is saving a "great multitude" as we read in Revelation 7:9. Ezekiel 36:24-38, Jeremiah 29, Jeremiah 30 and many other passages which are pictures of God's salvation during this time.

If there were ever a time where we should be searching the scriptures and praying that God in His mercy might lead us into truth, this is that time.

But we must search the scriptures using the principles that God lays down in His Word. A key principle is that Christ is the author of the entire Bible and that He "spoke in parables, and without a parable spake He not" Matthew 13:34 and Mark 4:34.

May God in His mercy open our spiritual ears as we search the scriptures.

Very sorry to see you go , but your messages will be on here forever for people to enjoy , take comfort in and be instructed by . God bless you .

(Acts Part 35):

Acts 14:23 - And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

The word "commended" is actually a banking term. It means to make a deposit in the bank. And the term "believed" is a Perfect Tense, speaking of the Lord upon whom they have believed.

So, they have been believers for quite some time. And what they were doing was they were saying we appointed elders. Now you are ready to have leaders in your church. You been walking with the Lord for a while now.

And they deposited, (those who had believed in the Lord, those who had trusted in the Lord), they deposited to the Lord and basically said "We're leaving, and we are committing you to Him.

Acts 15:1 - And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

Verse 1 tells us that certain men came down from Judaea. That little phrase "from Judaea" tells us that these people came into town and presented themselves as officials, representatives of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is in Judaea. They were Jewish. They were legalists. And they come into town up in Antioch.

And secondly, they taught. But in the Greek text, it is an Imperfect Tense which means they were continuously teaching. This was a "campaign." It was a campaign where Judaizers came into Antioch, and they were continuously teaching one message.

And they were teaching the brethren, and they said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. That's what they were spreading. "You can believe in Jesus as Messiah all you want to, but if you're not circumcised"

And there's even some that went as far to say to keep the law, and you have to become a Jew. You have to become a Jew in order to be saved. You cannot be saved unless you're circumcised. That's what they were saying.

(Acts Part 34):

Acts 14:12 - And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius. Except in the Greek text, it is literally "They called Barnabas ZEUS, and they called Paul HERMES."

In Greek mythology, Zeus is the supreme deity. He is the god over all the gods in Greek mythology. He's the head!

Hermes is the god of speech, or messenger. And Hermes would be the messenger for Zeus. Hermes would do all the talking. And Zeus was the supreme deity. In Greek mythology it says that at one point in history that both Zeus and Hermes visited the Greek people in human form.

And so, since Barnabas is the quiet one, and probably the bigger one because the word Paul means small, but when they saw Barnabas standing there and not saying anything, and Paul doing all the talking and miracles, they said "Zeus and Hermes have come back!"

And they called Paul Hermes because he was the chief speaker. Of course!

Acts 14:14 - Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,

They didn't go down and rent clothes. The term is an expression of anguish. They began to tear their clothes as an outward sign. That would get somebody's attention in church, wouldn't it? You know, if the pastor started ripping his clothes because he was so angry!

So, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,

Acts 14:22 - Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

The word tribulation is the word THLIPSIS which means stress. As you serve the Lord, and follow Him, and represent Him, and even maybe preach the gospel, people are going to pursue you. They are going to cause affliction or stress.

(Acts Part 33):

Acts 14:2 - But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

But the unbelieving Jews. A very fascinating statement. The word unbelieving in our text, the "ing" on the end tells us that it is a Present Participle. But the word belief is the word persuasion.

The un-persuaded Jews, or to put it literally, the Jews who were continually unwilling to be persuaded, they stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

Acts 14:3 - Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

I want to share this with you because it becomes a very important element in our day. In the early church, God gave them the power to do signs and wonders. It was a sign to them!

In the book of Hebrews, it says "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by them that heard him, God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders, and with divers (or various) miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to His own will."

God bearing witness! We are also told by Paul in his presentation in 2 Corinthians 12:12, he says "Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all patience in signs and wonders and mighty deeds."

God had told them that signs and wonders would accompany them in order to establish for those that were listening that what they are hearing is the word of God. Once God's word has been established, and that's all it was for, no more signs and wonders, at least in this way!

Acts 14:9 - The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

Isn't that amazing? They looked at this man and perceived that God had given him faith to be healed. And the word healed is the word SODZO for salvation!

(Acts Part 32):

Acts 13:16 - Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

In this first section in Verse 16, Paul is the one that stood up. And he beckoned with his hand and said, Men of Israel, and you that fear God, and as I mentioned earlier, this is the term "God fearers."

It is a technical term for Gentiles who are worshipping with Jews, also known as proselytes of the gate from a Jerusalem standpoint. These "God fearers," they are not Jewish, but they worship as a Jew. They keep the Sabbath days and the festivals.

The difference is that they are not circumcised for whatever personal reasons they have. Nor have they experienced "Mikveh," baptism required to convert to Judaism. So, they are Gentiles, worshipping with the Jews, as a Jew. But they are not Jewish!

Acts 13:41 - Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

Behold, you despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise, and that's a "double negative" in the Greek. You will never believe, though a man declares it unto you.

In other words, today you have fulfilled that scripture. I've detailed it all for you, laid it all out how God provided for our nation from the beginning to the end.

And at the end God even provided for us a Savior, and that this Savior is the recipient of all the promises that God has given to our father David.

But now he warns them. He warns them and he says beware lest that come upon you, which was spoken (prophesied in Habakkuk 1:5), that you will never believe though a man declares it unto you.

In other words, pay attention lest that scripture is fulfilled in your life if you don't repent. If you don't receive this Jesus, then Habakkuk 1:5 was written about you.

Biblical Greek Perspective

(Acts Part 31):

Acts 13:1 - Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch,

So, Barnabas and Paul and John Mark made their trek back to Antioch after delivering the goods because of the famine that was there.

They are back at Antioch and there were certain prophets and teachers. A prophet in the New Testament was one who spoke the word of God. In fact, the word prophet means spokesperson and teachers.

Now according to the Greek text, these are broken up. We are given five names. The first three apparently are prophets, and the last two are teachers.

The first three are Barnabas, Simeon that was called Niger, as in Nigerian, and Lucius or Luke of Cyrene. And Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

So, this Manaen grew up and was childhood buddies with Herod, but he has since received Christ, and he is part of the faith. But notice the last person that's mentioned. It is Saul. Barnabas is mentioned first. He appears to be the lead pastor in Antioch. And Saul was listed last.

Acts 13:6 - And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

In Aramaic, Bar means son. And of course, Jesus both means Jesus and represents Joshua. So, he called himself the son of Jesus.

Acts 13:10 - And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

The word "right" is the word straight, the straight ways of the Lord. So, he's accused of perverting the straight ways, putting curves and whatever in the highway making it harder for people to come to the things of Christ.

Greetings in Christ, T-rex,

When you say you "don't buy into this white throne narrative people are claiming," I gather that you are referring to the narrative I shared, so I felt a need to respond.

First, I want to say that I agree with you when you say that God opposes the proud, pride is before the fall, and that we must be on guard in these final days to the enemy's deceptive tricks. But please know that I am not the enemy!

Now, concerning 2 Corinthians 5:10, in context, when Paul says "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;" he is referring to all believers in Christ Jesus. If we take each verse, beginning with Verse 1, it seems pretty clear that Paul is speaking to the believers in Corinth.

If we take every single verse in context from Verse 1 leading up to Verse 10 and examine the words "we" and "us" in each of these verses, how would these verses be applicable to a person who flat out rejects Christ?

When Paul says we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, he is speaking about all believers. That's the "all" Paul is referring to. This judgment seat is called the Bema Seat judgment, and it is for believers only.

There is a difference and a gap between the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ that Paul spoke about in 2 Corinthians 5:10, and the vision of the Great White Throne judgment that was given to John in Revelation 20:11-15.

We do have a different view, but I can assure you that I'm in no way "attempting to trick anyone into avoiding moral responsibility," I don't assume that I'm in "some special VIP club," and I do not "expect VIP treatment" when I stand before God. When I stand before God, I'm going to know that I don't deserve to be there. My only hope of entering in is that He is going to see Christ in me.

We all have things to contribute to this forum. There will be disagreements from time to time, but when disagreement comes, neither side should be considered an enemy trying to deceive others.

Blessings!

Amen!

Thanks again Brother Jesse.

Amen Bennymkje.

Committing our life 100% to be born "by him" implies you have 0% hope in any other way.

Thanks always and God bless.

Awesome message.

come lord jesus

Hey there, brother Spencer,

I agree. Salvation requires complete surrender to Christ, making Him the Lord of your life. There is no partial salvation. A person is either fully saved or not saved at all. When Christ saves us, He gives us eternal life, or shall I say He gives us Himself and He is eternal! So, if we have Christ the eternal one in us, and He has promised to never leave nor forsake us, we have eternal life, never to be lost!

Hope you have a Christ filled day!

Thanks Jackieboy80, May God keep you also under his mighty wings,

Early this morning I woke up with a dream which is still vivid. I caught up in passing a fairly good fish by the tail and went running to skin it but It dropped out of my hand and next moment I turned back to retrieve it. I turned aside only to find a yeard where fishes hollowed out and lizard-like scaly thing dying away. Only in the course of the day I realized the significance of it. I did not fish it with my skill so the Spirit allowed me to take away for a purpose. What presented in the waste heap of carrion was not the place for me. I have a Bible ministry elsewhere so I shall be engaged elsewhere. In the path of life I need be wise and know how I spend what God has entrusted me with.

Amen Gigi, with joy and peace in him,

Hello David,

It is good to hear from you. I prayed last night that you (and others who haven't posted here for a while) would post soon!

Dear Bennymkje

I am glad to hear that you are finally getting past this throat infection. Praise the Lord who brings us healing.

Hopefully you will be returned to good health in no time and that will no longer have symptoms of a sore throat.

I'm glad you are feeling refreshed . The time and effort that you put into your messages is greatly appreciated . May God bless you with everything that you need to stay healthy and on this site and close to Himself .

I praise my Lord Saviour who hears my prayers. Lately I was much troubled by a throat infection and prayers of many certainly helped. It lingered on even though I completed the prescribed course of antibiotics. Couple of days ago my sister prayed over face time and I feel uplifted in my body and spirits. May His name be praised. Hallelujah,

Hi Spenser,

My mistake This sentence "Once saved is not forever saved without committing your life 100% to be born by him". It should read as "Once saved is not forever saved without committing your life 100% to be borne by him." I meant in the sense 'abiding' or carried about as the lamb by the good shepherd. Jesus of God has become sanctification. So total sanctification as far as our salvation concerned is our worship. It is due to him. Final salvation is not you or I can say but it rests with Jesus Christ. God looks not as man sees so shall we leave him that privilege, shall we?

Hi Bennymkje.

Thanks for replying.

I figured you were referring to John 15 when you mentioned abide in your reply.

One of my favorite verses in John 15 is verse 5,

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: FOR WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING.

YOU CAN DO NOTHING!

I believe that includes "abide"

Thanks and God bless.

Hi Brother Jesse.

I certainly would agree if Bennymkje would have said a person is not saved without committing your life 100% to be born by him.

However, this is what he said,

"Once saved is not (forever) saved without committing your life 100% to be born by him"

It seems he is saying if you committed to him 50% to being born again then you can be saved but then lose it.

I believe if you don't turn it ALL over to Jesus (100%) then you were never saved.

Hopefully that's not what he meant.

God bless.

The 1st rider is not Christ. The 4 horsemen correspond w/ the 1st four seals opened by the Lamb. As it's Christ who opens the scroll of judgment in heaven, we can realize then that He cannot be the rider of the white horse. Usually, white is symbolic for things such as peace, purity, or safety & security. The 1st rider conquers the whole world via deception. He carries a bow & is given a crown. If you look more closely at the actual words, 'bow' & 'crown' in Greek, it is 'toxon' & 'stephanos', respectively. From Strong's Greek: 'Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin from kata and toxeu (to shoot with a bow); from toxon Definition to strike down with an arrow.' In ancient Greece, they used to poison the tips of their arrows. Stephanos 'means properly, a wreath (garland), awarded to a victor in the ancient athletic games'. I won't mention what the former word reminds me of here, but as to the latter word, the aforementioned garland reminds me of the WHO emblem. This emblem was chosen by the First World Health Assembly in 1948. The WHO declared the CV19 outbreak an international public health emergency of in Jan '20, & assessed the outbreak as having become a pandemic in Mar '20. In Apr '20, Pope Francis made a lot of interesting remarks regarding pandemic, if you care to investigate. A lot of flowery words, but between the lines, it's clear that he's priming the masses for the UN's 2030 SDG. The WHO & UN will continue to push their agenda throughout the 7-yr trib period. Obviously, the red horse, representing war, is already riding & things will cont. to escalate, spreading the conflict globally. The pale horse has also started to rise, that being famine & economic collapse, a natural consequence of everything proceeding it. The 4th horseman is death, essentially from war, civil unrest, famine, natural and man-made disasters, and disease. The attack on 10/7/23 & everything that's occurred since is setting the stage for the AC & FP to take control.

Q&A "Fire of the altar"

Q: God is a consuming fire and the prayer of saints are thrown into the fire as Re.8:5 says,"And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake." How does it work?

A: This is set in heaven immediately following the silence 'about the space of half an hour.' You have to read from vv.3-5. While the seven angels are ready to sound,

it is 'another angel' who approaches the altar. To him with the golden censer was given "much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.". The Ancient of days with his fiery throne represents the Law of the Spirit. So there is no collateral damage but the wrath of God is directed to those on the earth who offend. in v.4 we read, the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascends up before God. In v.5: "And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth." The Spirit inserts this formula to inform us that it is the determined Will of God. "and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings,". This resonates with God descending on mount Sinai."on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud."(Ex.19:16). The mountain shook and we read 'and an earthquake."(8:6)

The angels with trumpets as with the Lamb breaking open seven seals set forth consequences so wrath of God against all those who hold truth in unrighteousness shall take effect. It is for this reason the volume of saints and the wicked are apportioned. For example,"And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed." Third part is a cue for the Son and do not mean that ships are broken up in three parts.

Q&A "Foursquare"

Q: The city of God is foursquare, so is the altar of incense? In the volume of each believer there must be certain golden ratio so a believer grows from glory to glory, Does it not?

A: Certainly. The altar has a certain position so has the city of God in the new heaven and new earth. What God specified for the tabernacle is after the pattern shown to Moses. (Ex.30:2) Let us consider these. An altar is "A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof." Father and Son as Jesus said, "My Father and I are one. "Two cubits shall be the height thereof" denote the two commandments Jesus taught us. (Matt.22:40). The golden ratio therefore sets these relationship in relation to the world without. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." So how shall we consider the altar, as dress to change for occasions or as a living sacrifice? Paul exhorts,"that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."(Ro.12:1-2)

"And thou shalt put it before the vail" The altar is set before the vail representing the face, "and the firmament sheweth his handywork" and the glory of heaven interfaces with earth so it iis a face; it is in this sense Paul writes here, "to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." In short our heart is a kind of glass which adds to our understanding, "that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."(2 Pe.1:4-8)

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."(2 Co.3:18) This liberty has freed us from law of sin.

unity in the church

Hi Spencer,

As I mentioned in the first ever discussion, you are free to disagree and unless grace is given from above many things to discern the right from wrong can cause divisions. In essentials unity, and in non-essentials charity. You have to determine yourself which is which.

Sheep is likely to go astray and the good shepherd at times shall hold the lamb close and it is for the lamb's safety. Jesus is the true vine and branches are running like sheep saying once saved is saved. The branches abide in the vine drawing nutrients and the goodness of the tree. Third analogy I can cite: God commanded Moses to make the altar of incense. "And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal."(Ex.30:4) The body of a believer is a living sacrifice. You are not to remove the rings ever. You are not free to burn strange mixture of incense therein. Instead the incense has to be of precise mix so you shall be a sweet smelling savour to God. Think it over.