Discuss Luke 17 Page 8

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

thy word i shall hide in my heart that i might not sin against thee...

blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the lord.. blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart .

jesus didnt come to destroy the law but to fulfill . and to make a way for us to uphold its precepts in the spirit and not in the letter.

Connie, you would certainly have a vibrant, up-to-date testimony of God's intervention in your marred life & his Gift of New Life to you, through His Son. And even God using what seemed as a vile & abhorrent mistreatment by others, turned out to your favour & salvation. You have much to praise God for. And true, following Christian traditions won't save you or anyone else, but obedience to what the Bible teaches for our salvation & hope of eternity, will. For its only in God's Word that we can find the Words of Life & not from the words of men or even from our own thoughts. May God help you & bless you as you look to Him & learn from Him.

Nick. Great question. As a surviving adult of child trafficking I can answer from my own personal experience. Yes! I have been here for about a week . I hoped to share my experiences about how my love for God is unique to my own life. I have witnessed and survived the most unGodly cruelties of mankind upon children that continues at this very moment. So yes if I had not been enslaved I would not have my own understanding of God's involvement in our lives on a personal basis. But i have been told that i am not saved because i am not a follower of Christian traditions. But I will never forget and I will never be moved from my love of God. The terrifying and wonderful love and fear .

Why not, he's the same God, right? I suspect your real question is,"how" can he do that. One attribute of God is omnipotence. Look it up and marvel.

Is it true that God continues to use the deeds of the wicked to fulfill His plan and purpose as He did in the book of Daniel?

When you say we are told not to change the bible, I'm happy that we agree on something, when you talk of the many different bible versions, I'm also aware that there is, but chose to only read the KJV, I'm sure they're meant to be more relevant to today's english but as in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 Satan can transform himself into an angel of light and deceive many, just by changing a few words. Fornication is most certainly a terrible sin throughout society today and also in biblical times, and is mentioned 35 times in the KJV but when you look at Romans 1:20-32 and Galations 5:14-26 it is only one of many sins of the flesh. "Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents," to name just a few. John 8:3-11 Jesus forgive a woman caught in adultery, John 4:6-43 the Samaritan woman at the well living in fornication was one of the first women evangelist. Luke 18:10-14 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." he was not justified, Luke 23:43 the first person Jesus took to paradise was a thief on the cross. Sin in whatever form is evil in God's eyes, but I'm sure your well aware of that. Just as God judged the people in Sodom and Gomorrah and in Noah's day, I try (sometimes I fail) to let God judge the transgressors of today, and focus on the narrow road to the cross for my Salvation. Because as in Luke 17:32 "Remember Lot's wife." we don't want to turn into that pillar of salt.

Some of my favorite scripture to help me keep things in perspective is the Beatitudes and sermon on the mount, and also Luke 10:27-37 the story of the good Samaritan.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

1

One shall be taken = Death

Reply to 2Chrome Eyes... I f someone keep hurting you, Take the necessary steps to avoid the willful hurt.. Forgive is a must but you do not have to stay in a position to keep experiencing the hurt.. Mark and avoid such people.

your absolutely correct and I believe this would be some scripture to support this, just as Lot's wife looked backed so are we vulnerable to look back also, and we must be on guard from satan's influence at all times.

Genesis Chapter 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. 26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Luke 17:32 "Remember Lot's wife."

True, the actual word rapture doesn't appear in the bible but the words "caught up" to meet the Lord in the air is definitely there. "Caught" in Greek means [to seize, pluck, pull, take by force, to take for oneself, prefer, choose, to raise]

To me this means we will definitely be taken by force to meet Jesus in the air. 1 Thes 4:16,17 ; Matt 24:40 ; Luke 17:34,35. This happens before the tribulation period of 3.5 yrs and is not the 2nd coming. The mark of the beast happens during the tribulation period.

Rapture in Webster's dictionary means to be carried away by emotion. Very similar so maybe this is where the word originates from.

Matt 24:40-41 and Luke 17:34 is definitely talking about the rapture. The rapture is when Jesus will appear in the sky to catch away the "OVERCOMERS". Not all Christians are overcomers and go up in the rapture. Overcomers are those Christians who have crucified and overcome the flesh ( Gal 5:17-19) and rules over their carnal mind, will and desires of the flesh ( Rom 8:7-9). This is the principle of growing in God ( 2 Tim 3:16,17). Some will be left behind to go through the first half of the tribulation period (3.5 yrs). Those left behind are saved but haven't crucified their flesh enough to be overcomers. This is not the second coming of Jesus where everyone will see Him. The rapture takes just before the tribulation and just after the Antichrist is revealed on the earth. The Antichrist is Judas Iscariot .

The matter of finances, particularly financial responsibility, has been one of the many issues that has been the wedge causing much grief, even driven families apart. Trading with goods & later, the introduction of money, has always been a part of our human experience & necessity & is never condemned by Jesus - only in the aspect of where our affections & time are given to ( Luke 18:18-25). I believe that all couples need to discuss this matter, as they would concerning children, property, etc., early on in their marriage, so the groundwork may be laid for an agreed & acceptable manner of dealing with finances.

Some couples believe that separate bank accounts are necessary, what one earns & spends being the responsibility of each one; & this might work especially when agreement cannot be reached otherwise. For my wife & I, all monies that are brought in, are treated as common earnings/savings in joint accounts. We realize that if we save or spend unwisely, then we will suffer together in that decision. However, if one of us is unable to handle money correctly (& there are many lacking wisdom in this area), then the other should have the control. But a lot of this can be sorted out, by first discussing this matter & making clear agreements early on.

And so in the matter of dealing with 'obligatory' & 'optional' expenses, monies need to be set aside for those purposes, so that utility expenses, repayment of loans, food purchases, children's education, the Lord's Work, etc. are not neglected thereby causing greater hardship. As my wife advises others, "not every one has the wherewithal to put steak on the plate each day or afford a Gucci or Louis Vuitton hand bag" - prudence dictates that we spend according to our means. Saving for the future or for the children, is wise, & not a demonstration of a lack of faith in God ( Proverbs 6:6-8). If a spouse can't be trusted to even spend $20, then that problem needs airing & a strict discipline to spending applied for all.

What should the responsibility of a wife be financially if she works should she be splitting reponsibilties of utilties and such if she works according to the bible should not we save money for emergencies and also save for our childrens inheritance Should spending money be discussed with one another even if its 20 dollars especially if you have a partner who is very free with money

Amen, Thanks both of you.

So very true. Thank you Frank.

Thank you, Albert, for your kind and insightful reply.

I found this devotional by Anne Graham Lotz to be helpful.

Overshadowed by the Spirit

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Luke 1:35, NIV

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he gave her the startling announcement that "the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." When you and I place our faith in Jesus Christ and invite Him to come live within us, the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and the power of God overshadows us, and the life of Jesus is born within us. We do not conceive a physical life, but the spiritual life of Jesus in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

It is the indwelling powerful Person of the Holy Spirit Who sets me free from the habits of sin. But the power I possess to live a life pleasing to God is directly related to how much control of my life I give to the Holy Spirit.

Blessings,

Copyright 2020 AnGeL Ministries, All rights reserved

Excellent reply. Thank you Chris

I must commend you for ending your prayer in the Name of Jesus. As you well know, Jesus is the Name of the Savior. Colossians 3:17 says"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." So by praying in the Name of Jesus, you are praying to God. Salvation came only by Jesus ( Acts 4:12; Matthew 1:21; John 17:6; Luke 3:31; John 1:14) So when you pray in the name of Jesus, you are praying to God. All of the fullness of God is in Jesus( Colossians 1:19). We are saved through Jesus--He died on the Cross and provided the means of escape for the whole world. The demons tremble at the name of Jesus( James 2:19) Again, I commend you for praying in Jesus' Name and ending your prayer in Jesus' Name. There is no other name given to us whereby we must be saved. Jesus even said that repentance and remission of sins would be preached in His name ( Luke 24:47). It is through His name that we are baptized ( Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38; Acts 3: 19) I am so grateful to find believers who still hold to the Bible. God bless you and may God keep you is my prayer. I hope I provided some insight into Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I agree, we often take on board thoughts & words that we give little heed to, & this results in a repetition that we don't know the reason for. I understand that when we approach God with our needs & requests, we know that He does hear us as we ask in His Will & in faith. But we also know that it is only because of His Son Jesus Christ that we even dare to approach Him & come boldly before the Throne & that any request we can make, can only be because of our relationship to Him & the authority we have through Him.

Now, I don't believe for a moment that if a person fails to end his prayer with "In Jesus' Name", has a prayer destined for failure to reach Heaven. Often in a time of praise to God (which I believe ought to take the majority of time spent in His Presence, even as the angels do who surround His Throne), we don't cease our praise time with that ending. But I think, that to utter those final words is a confirmation to our own hearts that we have asked for things & approached God's Throne on no better authority than His blessed Son. As well, we say "Amen" (or, 'so be it' or 'let it be so'), as our final 'word' to God, that in faith we believe that we "have the petitions that we desired of Him" ( 1 John 5:15).

I have a question regarding the Name of Jesus, as in 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.

Obviously, there is power in the Name of Jesus. When I pray I generally end with, "...in Jesus Name, but I don't know why. I would appreciate comments from the community about this very important topic. Thank you.

I know that the Word of God says, that Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt, what country did this happen in? And how long did the pillar of salt remain? When God gives us instructions, we are to follow it, or else we will get in trouble with God.

That reference in Luke 17:30, refers to the Second Coming of Jesus (i.e. when He is revealed to those on Earth). As you read the verses (22-37), you will see that Jesus was speaking to His disciples about what things will be like prior to His coming.

Regarding the "day that Son of Man be revealed", what does that really mean. That Jesus Christ really is our Lord and Savior even to the Jews?

Jesus often spoke of Himself as Son of Man as He sometimes referred to Himself as Son of God. He was correct in doing so, as He was both: He was the Word of God made flesh (man) John 1:1-14 and He was also a Man (by that same reference & the account of His human birth: Matthew 1:20-25). For His Own reasons, Jesus used these designations interchangeably depending on who He was speaking to & in what context. In any case, those that heard His teachings & saw His miracles knew that Jesus' claim to be the Son of God was clear & specific. Even at the cross, they cried out to Him, "If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross" ( Matthew 27:40).

Adam & Eve were our first parents & it wasn't until a specific calling (of Abraham) that a holy line of people began to form. True, of the sons of Noah (i.e. prior to Abraham), Shem was elected to be the forefather of the later nation of Israel. And from Shem, Abraham came & became the promise of being the father of a great nation ( Genesis 12:1-3) & of many nations ( Genesis 17:1-5). As the nation of Israel grew in number & expanded by conquering opposing lands, they began to intermarry with the Canaanite nations, when clearly forbidden to do so by God: Deuteronomy 7:1-4; 1 Kings 11:1,2; Nehemiah 13:3, 23-27. Therefore, I feel that there are no pure Jews today; even though some would have stayed true to the Word of God, maybe their children (even a few) chose to intermarry, then that purity would continue to diminish over succeeding generations. I hope that is what you were seeking to know Joseph.

In Luke 17;20 Jesus is speaking about the son of man in his day at the end times as if this son of man is different from Jesus or am I not reading this correctly?also I have noticed that in the beginning of the Bible God created everything all the people all the animals all the plants and then lord god is with Adam and Eve and their roll in the world as chosen for lord god to show a separate group of people their own personal history and if these people wanted to take part in having a companion from the other group that would be acceptable but I'm not at all sure about how I read into these things thank you for your help.

What Adam has written is quite correct: it is the Holy Spirit Who takes up residence in those born again by Him. What you describe (taken from another source I guess), as God's Kingdom in us growing to bring us to maturity, is actually God's Spirit Who is doing the work of bringing us into deeper sanctification & maturing into Christ-likeness. The "battle that rages" within is that of the old carnal nature that is at war with the new nature from God. That is why the Apostle Paul said to "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." ( Galatians 5:16,17). And in verse 24, "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." So there is nothing to suggest God's Kingdom getting bigger in us, rather that we have determined to put aside sin & not obey its enticements - not allowing the carnal nature to control us, but God's Spirit given full control.

Now, there is a Scripture that some could use to support their errant belief: Luke 17:21, "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." The Greek word for 'within' is 'entos' which can mean 'within or among'. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees who certainly did not recognize nor accept Jesus as Messiah, so the meaning of 'within' wouldn't apply as they were certainly not holy vessels for God to come upon or within. I believe Jesus was speaking about Himself Who was already 'within their midst/amongst them' & they couldn't see Him because of their blindness & hardness of their hearts.

So when we allow the Holy Spirit to have more of our lives by being moved by Him rather than by our carnal flesh, then in truth, God's Spirit will delight to reign in His children & we shall see God's Hand move in wonderful ways in our lives. 2 Corinthians 6:16.

Thank you so much. I move forward being led by His spirit. Bless all of you.

Matthew 7:13

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat

Matthew 7:14

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Psalms 119:105

Matthew 25:21

Psalms 118 19-23

Hello Jeanette, thank you for your detailed account of your experiences in your Church Fellowship. It was very sad to read it, as the absence of Christ-like love & empathy for one another, must be a key component in a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led Church. The evidence of the pastor's indifference & his wife's treatment of you, do not bode well with me & did trouble my spirit much. The fact of his sound biblical teaching seems to negate his otherwise carnal behaviour to you & maybe to others (though I guess there are still only a few who attend). Then the question: why do the visitors not stay? What are they perceiving that might not be sitting well with them?

I feel that you have been very faithful to the pastor(s) for a very long time, given the distance to your home, car problems, & other issues. Many would have not persevered for so long. You do not mention if there are any other Fellowships in your city that may be suitable or you may have visited. I am not familiar with the Apostles Doctrine Church of God, as I don't live in the U.S., but I could suggest you visit a fundamental Church, like a Baptist Church, Church of Christ, an Open Brethren Church. Or if you desire a Church that emphasises & demonstrates more of the outward spiritual Gifts, then an Assemblies of God Fellowship might be suitable. So by my suggesting the above, of course means that I believe that your on-going experiences at this Church & your own grief & lack of growth in the Lord, are sufficient reasons to leave. Yet, as you have been in much prayer over this matter, it still remains your personal decision before the Lord & no one can push you to separate from the Fellowship.

Maybe even some one else reading your account now, who lives in or is familiar with the St. Louis area, can help you with suggesting a good Bible believing, Christ-centred Church, that they can direct you. I googled & found some. Again, I am so sorry to read your story & pray the Spirit's help to you in the days ahead.