Matthew
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Actually Shabbat Keeper, I wasn't intending to bring up the Rapture debate here, as it has been well discussed over the years. Rather, I was intending to give, maybe a rather flimsy example of a type of Gospel message, telling unbelievers that "when we turn to the Lord for forgiveness of our sins & receiving Christ into our life, then we will not face (physical) death, but just be raptured (caught up, as with Enoch/Elijah), to forever be with him". Here then would be something for the unbeliever to consider, because as sure as day turns into night, we all (believer & unbeliever alike) will face death - whether this thought leaves an 'icky' feeling in us depends on how we view death. So, rapture is not my issue here, but why is death any more of a punishment when we all have to die & knowing that death (of the body) means a complete eradication of any iota of life (in body, breath, mind, & senses). Often death is welcome, especially for the terminally ill or suffering, & whether or not one experiences a new pain-free joyful existence in the Lord's Presence or not, holds little attraction if there is no more consciousness in death or after it.
If death is the only punishment to the Christ-rejecter, then why do we all have to die? And if I might ask (verses that some don't care to address), why are there so many Scriptures to warn us that physical death is not the end (e.g. Matthew 5:22,29,30; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:10,11-15); all these pointing to the reality of an eternal torment? As one who doesn't believe in such an eternity, I ask you (as I've done in the past with others), why are these Scriptures rejected so as to support an emotion-charged belief rather than a biblical Truth? Why do we reject or re-write these passages to suit us, when they're given direct from the Mouth of our Lord?
In regard to misuse of scripture; we risk two extremes-that being making applications to every event in our lives with any verse that even remotely seems to prove a mindset or agenda or life decision and the contrary; which views the Word as a history lesson; disregarding any application of the supernatural in our personal lives; or in speaking to us in our personal lives.
I would say that it is better to randomly open to a scripture verse to find something applicable than to assign meanings to passages through a deliberate twisting of meanings. We need to differentiate between methods of preaching that are more life application oriented with those that are more focused on hermeneutics, for instance. It is a slippery slope once we start to read into scripture with a message that is more like a self fulfilling prophecy than proper exegesis.
Take; for instance personal examples and life lessons. Those obsessed with the charismatic gifts; for instance often talk of miracles that they have seen; but practically speaking; for instance hearing examples of sharing the Gospel and seeing results is just as much; if not more evidence of a miracle in a supernatural transformation of the heart. Knowing our local pastor should help us to establish trust so that we have assurance that we are not being given unsubstantiated tales of miracles; signs and wonders.
Another example is the verses where we are commanded to raise the dead; heal the sick etc such as found in Matthew 10:8. Surely these acts along with deliverance were continued throughout the time of the book of Acts. We need to matter of factly acknowledge when a miracle appears to occur; but also realize that in some cases it may not be God's will; at least in terms of the fact that we are all mortal beings. We certainly should pray for such things; especially spiritual deliverance for those in bondage to the enemy which all with the Spirit can do.
I'm sorry but the scriptures DO NOT agree with you.
John 5:14 "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."
Jesus warns that if we continue sinning only worse things will happen!
Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Matthew 10:28
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
Proverbs 14:2
"He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him."
Job 28:28
"And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."
God is FEAR and LOVE! If we are wise we will love Him and fear Him!
GBU
SOUL
Vayikra (Leviticus) 17:11& 14- Torah -
11 The SOUL of the flesh is in the BLOOD, and I have therefore given it to you [to be placed] upon the altar, to atone for your souls. For it is the blood that atones for the soul.
14For [regarding] the soul of all flesh its blood is in its soul, and I said to the children of Israel: You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the soul of any flesh is its blood all who eat it shall be cut off.
SPIRIT
Isaiah 11:2-KJV
2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
John 6:63 - JESUS said:
... the WORDS that I speak unto you, THEY ARE SPIRIT, and they are life. (The Word is GOD, self-executing, is the Power. Great mystery. The Word is from everlasting to everlasting. By the way, around 2.000 years ago, the Word was made flesh- John 1:14).
Romans 8:9-
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, HE IS NONE OF HIS.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him that raised up JESUS from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.
It's it. Now, the interpretation is with you.
GOD BLESSES YOU
Matthew 10:28
Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
In my last post I ended with a discussion of the legalism of the Pharisees; as well as those that have what I call "sloppy Agape" or attempt to gloss over sin and use grace and forgiveness of all past; present and future sins as their excuse. In both of these cases at least for those who remain in a church fellowship we see an idolization of the Pastor most often who no doubt is contributing to one or the other error mentioned here. A true believer would move on if there is heresy coming from one of their own (see Acts 20:30). Justifying self righteousness is aided; of course when someone is financially well to do and credits the church leadership that promises "sowing a seed" will add to prosperity for all (whether or not they are giving a large sum themselves). The opposite of this are those widows and old ladies who are fleeced to their last dollar mesmerized by a Pastor who promises health and happiness with obedience and warns against not doing this despite what common sense would otherwise show.
This first paragraph assumes corrupt leadership. Another sign of our faith is respecting elders and pastors who ARE feeding the flock and tending the sheep properly. (see 1 Timothy 5:17). Disrespect of such authority often mainfests in impatience if a sermon runs 5 minutes late; frustration when genuine financial needs are brought up; lack of participation and interest in prayer and doing service projects in the church and for the comunity; etc. Beyond this; the admonitions of 1 John about loving the brethren are ignored (see 1 John 4:20). Such parishioners will sometimes leave; and we shouldn't strive to force them to stay.
There are others attempting to spread false doctrines which were of course never part of the true flock (see 1 John 2:19). They may leave but if not need to be dealt with lest they be a cancer that affects the whole flock (see warning in Galatians 5:9).
LET US MEDITATE ON MATTHEW 10:16!!!
My previous post touched on church doctrine. These days we cannot have assurance that a literal hell is something that is taken seriously; or that only Christ is the way to eternal life. A catechism SHOULD state what a core belief is of such matters; if it is not being adhered to disciplinary action should be taken and if it is some spurious statement we have no business remaining there.
Many megachurches seem to want to cater to the nonbeliever and rather than aking them tremble at the fear of God and His presence they want to present Christianinty as something that fits into a music venue; social activities and other things that appeal to the flesh. Rather than making coming to Christ the beginning of a death sentence all the verses that Jesus spoke such as Matthew 10:22-24 and numerous other admonitions such as 1 Peter 4:12-19 have to be ignored with such techniques.
The prosperity gospel shouldn't have to be dissected to show the error; looking at the life of Christ and the Disciples should suffice to show it is utter rubbish. An honest assessment shows that leadership at such places doesn't want to lose parishioners; thus "filthy lucre" and the love of such things ( Titus 1:11) is a deadly vice. Sadly though we see others who are caught up in emotional sentimentality. It is easy of course to be convinced one's girlfriend or boyfriend will turn their affections to God since they show partiality to us. Making Christ appeal to youth with attractive women dressed in worldly apparel or cheap gimmicks will at best cause a few predestined to come to faith to wake up; just as someone who is in a congregation with false doctrines can hear enough of the true Word to be convicted; in other words despite the bad approach rather than because of it. But counting the cost of being a Disciple can't be ignored; as well as challenging those who would bring in error and restricting membership to those who truly believe
you quoted:
matthew 10:23 .... ye (those 12 disciples) shall not have gone over the cities of israel, til the son of man be come.
christ came the second time when god raised him from the dead, we became joint-heirs, we are the body of christ.
christ came; the second time, in the clouds of heaven, the new creation.
colossians 1:27 .... this mystery ...... christ in you .......
john 17:22 and the glory that thou has give me, i have given them, that they may be one, as we are one.
the gospel is believing what god has done for man.
psalms 107:8 o that man would praise the god of his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of man.
god bless you!
Now in the Luke version we have a similar construction from vv.17-18 "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name./And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." Jesus as the Word become flesh is referring to what the scriptures indicate. "For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me,"( Luke 22:37) Luke's Gospel gives another insight of the Son while the Jewish sensibilities of Matthew gives us yet another.
Seventy (7x10) number is another cue. 7 is the command number which is used for referring completeness. Where 10 indicates man's life. Thus Jesus fasting forty days and nights or he was seen after he was risen." he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days"(Ac.1:3) God gave 70 elders the spirit that was upon Moses (Nu.11:25)
When we see Matthew 10 and compare it with Luke 10 we see some differences. Those in Matthew 10 were told only to go the lost sheep of the house of Israel ( Matthew 10:6). Such was NOT the case with the 72 in Luke's account. We see there is no return mentioned of the Disciples as was with the 72 in Luke 10:17. The same cities were rebuked in Matthew 11:17 as they are in Luke 10:13-15. (incidentally these cities were rebuked BEFORE the Disciples retuned which also signifies their lack of belief in the miracles of Christ Himself if not implying their lack of response to the Gospel and miracles the Disciples and 72 performed in both Gospel accounts).
When we look at Matthew 10 we see far implications; persecutions; being hated by all nations for His Name's sake; going to trial with kings and rulers and finally verses in verse 22:23. "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come." This is a clear indication of the Tribulation as indeed this refers to the Second Coming. It is notable today that one cannot be a citizen of Israel if declaring themselves to be a Christian. The only other option here is to somehow imply the Lord came already as a Full Preterist viewpoint which says somehow Christ already returned in AD 70. The implications here are not only for the Disciples but all those who are going to suffer persecution for His Name's sake; perhaps particularly but not only related to the cities of Israel. Also the 144,000 and 2 Prophets would also be something bringing the climax and greatest challenge for Israel ever seen in the time of "Jacob's Trouble". ( Jeremiah 30:7). God promises deliverance eventually; by death or Rapture or Resurrection.
Agape.
The way I interpret your question is how much must I obey God to get into heaven? What is the bare minimum?
Because some feel inconvenienced to follow Jesus- whether embarrassment or other excuses. And do you have to obey the 10 commandments or any of the other commandments in the Bible? You already know what God says- He called them "commandments" for a reason, but some want to be comforted and hear that you can do whatever you want, whatever feels good, in this world and be ok? If that the hope, that's Satan's message.
It looks like this has received a lot of comments. Some are pushing false teachings which should be called out. It doesn't matter what man says, but what God says, right? Isn't it better to please God than please man?
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:22 KJV
This clearly says to be a doer of the Word. It's not enough to just hear it and do nothing. Christianity is an action. I don't see anywhere in the Bible saying you're saved on earth before you're even judged. Please share verses that back that up, because I haven't seen any. I see verses saying you can have assurance of salvation. There's verses saying we will be saved, but it doesn't say right now before our life is even over- I believe that's the assumed part that deviates from scripture.
"But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 10:33
Baptism:
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Mark 16:16
I think its risky to intentionally disobey Jesus, then expect all the benefits.
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46
If you don't obey, why even call him Lord? You're not even a follower. This is my interpretation of what Jesus is saying here.
Matthew 7:24-27 - Jesus's point of this parable is obeying Him. "doing" "doeth"
THE INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION:
If you've never been through the book of Revelation before, you might be interested in knowing that the study of the introduction to the book of Revelation is a study in and of itself.
It could take several long posts to go over everything, so what I have done is excerpted out some of the main points.
I. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The Apostle John. The Apostle John is not John the Baptist.
The Apostle John is mentioned five times in the Book of Revelation: 1:1; 1:4; 1:9; 21:2; 22:8.
The Apostle John had a brother by the name of James. They were known as the sons of Zebedee, found in Matthew 10:2-4.
Jesus gave them the name "The sons of thunder," recorded in Mark 3:17. They always wanted to call fire down from heaven and consume people if they didn't want anything to do with the Lord. There's a lot of "sons of thunder" in the church today!
John, Peter, and James were the inner circle of the disciples of Jesus, and spent many special times with the Lord, Matthew 17:1; 26:37.
The Apostle John was the only original apostle not to die a martyr's death.
What is interesting, in association with the book of Revelation, is that tradition says that around 86 A.D., they tried to execute John by dipping him in burning oil. And after they pulled him out, nothing was wrong with him. And they figured that they couldn't kill him, so they decided to exile him off onto the island of Patmos.
Again, most of the introduction to 3 John will be the same as 1 & 2 John. I will share a couple of pieces of information that will be different. I would like to point out that all of John's writings (other than the gospel of John), are in the Jewish Literature section of the New Testament.
It was written to the Jews, Jewish believers. But that didn't eliminate or cause the Gentiles not to be able to receive from the truth from these letters.
I. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The apostle John. This is not John the Baptist. This is the apostle, John.
The apostle John had a brother by the name of James. They were known as "The Sons of Zebedee" ( Matthew 10:2-4). Jesus gave them the name "The Sons of Thunder" ( Mark 3:17).
John, Peter, and James were the inner circle of the disciples of Jesus and spent many special times with the Lord ( Matthew 17:1; 26:37).
The apostle John was the only original apostle not to die a martyr's death.
John wrote the Gospel of John, 1, 2, and 3 John, and the Book of Revelation.
And you should keep in mind that even though he wrote the Gospel of John that's at the beginning of the New Testament, the gospel of John was one of the last books written in chronological order. But it was put at the beginning so that all of the gospels could be put together about the earthly ministry of Christ.
Most of this introduction will be the same as I presented in 1 John in which I shared an overall introduction to all three books.
I. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The Apostle John. The Apostle John is not John the Baptist.
The Apostle John had a brother by the name of James. They were known as "The Sons of Zebedee" ( Matthew 10:2-4). Jesus gave them the name "The Sons of Thunder" ( Mark 3:17).
John, Peter, and James were the inner circle of the disciples of Jesus and spent many special times with the Lord ( Matthew 17:1; Matthew 26:37).
The Apostle John was the only original apostle not to die a martyr's death.
John wrote the Gospel of John, I, II and III John, and the Book of Revelation.
II. ABOUT THE RECIPIENTS:
The Apostle John wrote I, II and III John to the churches of Asia Minor over which John exercised Apostolic leadership in his later years. Most of the recipients of his letters were Jewish believers but the letters were written for all of the believers in the churches.
III. ABOUT THE DATE AND LOCATION:
I John was written sometime in the late 80s or early 90s A.D. It is believed John's letters were written soon after he composed the Gospel of John. All five of John's letters were written from Ephesus where he spent his elder years leading the churches in Asia Minor.
NOW FOR THE INTRODUCTION TO 1, 2, & 3 JOHN.
I. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The Apostle John is the author. He is not to be confused with John the Baptist. He is a completely different person. We can get confused with the different people by the name of John in the scriptures. This is the Apostle John, one of the original 12 Apostles.
The Apostle John had a brother by the name of James. They were known as "The Sons of Zebedee" ( Matthew 10:2-4). Zebedee was their father.
Jesus gave them the name "The Sons of Thunder" ( Mark 3:17). As they travelled with Jesus and the other disciples, they were the ones that said if people rejected Christ, they wanted to know if the Lord wanted to call fire down from heaven and consume them. They wanted to be the guys that blow everybody up if they don't believe. So, they're called the "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus.
John, Peter, and James were the inner circle of the disciples of Jesus and spent many special times with the Lord, on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1. Also, in the garden before Jesus died, the three of them were with Him as He was praying in Matthew 26:37.
The Apostle John was the only original apostle not to die a martyr's death. Tradition says that they tried to kill him by dipping him in burning oil. But when he came out, he wasn't harmed. So, they put him out on the island of Patmos to serve his time out there. And it was on the island of Patmos where he received what we know as the book of Revelation.
John wrote the Gospel of John, 1, 2 and 3 John, and the Book of Revelation.
So, when Peter was called PETROS, or Cephas in Aramaic, and remember in John Chapter 1, Jesus said you will be called Cephas. Well, at this particular time in Matthew 16:18 is when Jesus named him PETROS. It's a spiritual name. It's a rock. But it's not a foundation stone. That's PETRA, and that's Jesus.
Simon Peter, Andrew, and their father were from the village called Bethsaida, on the Northeastern side of the Sea of Galilee. They later moved to Capernaum to continue their fishing business, as recorded in Mark 1:21, and Mark 1:29. The reason for the move was because Capernaum was the Lord's home during much of his public ministry.
Luke 4:38-39 tells us that Peter was married. In this account, Jesus heals Simon Peter's mother-in-law who was sick with a fever. Simon Peter's wife also accompanied him on some of the missionary journeys as told to us in I Corinthians 9:5.
Simon Peter also appears to be the leader of the Apostles. In all four lists of the Apostles in the New Testament, Simon Peter is named first. Matthew 10:2-7; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13.
In Acts Chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples, Peter was the one who gave the first sermon.
In Acts Chapter 4, Peter is the one answering to the Sanhedrin (the religious council of the Jews). They pulled the disciples in and said you cannot preach the resurrection anymore in the name of Jesus. It was Peter who responded and spoke for the disciples.
In Acts Chapter 5, Peter is the one administering discipline in the Church. So, he's a leader.
Yet, as you wrote, "Our core values we know for sure but secondary issues we don't", which is what we need to emphasize & build up one another on, rather than on matters we know little or nothing about. Yet, it's always an interesting exercise to ponder even over such things. Blessings.
Matthew 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Matthew 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Jesus despite His statement in Matthew 12:48 (He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?) Jesus demonstrated at the cross his concern for his mother's care and had John live there with her in John 19. It was even worded in the same way "behold your mother"and "behold your son" in verses 26 and 27. We see from the verses above as well as others that family is often the most dificult to reach; even in Christ's case James only believed after the cross. ( John 7:5) shows this; along with unbelief of other brothers at the time. If a sinless Christ was viewed in His hometown as merely being the Son of Joseph and Mary at the time despite the virgin birth being a reality; then of course the only other option would have been as the Pharisees said in John 8:41. And of course we can't expect anything more; since we indeed are all sinners saved by grace. Our family will see something different about us from what we once were; especially if there is a dramatic change in behavior due to certain outward manifestations of behavior radically different after salvation. Of course all of our past mistakes and human weaknesses will be scrutinized by those who grew up with us.
We have challenges from Jesus in both loving God more than our own family as well as the mandates to honor our Father and mother. Clearly our Lord understood the right balance and we should learn from His example. Our natural family isn't our spiritual one; it may or may not become that in time. In my own life not only do I have 2 unbelieving parents in their 90's; NO one in my family to the best of my knowledge are saved. Having to live at home at present therefore means my walk and behavior has to be consistent. Preaching is not going to accomplish much; they are aware I have been a believer 40 years+
Matthew was one of the 12 Apostles. In Matthew 10:3, we have the record of Matthew being called out from the disciples to be one of the original 12 Apostles.
NOW FOR MATTHEW'S GOSPEL:
WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN:
It was written in the late 60's AD. Here are some things that are important to know:
LINK TO OTHER BOOKS:
Out of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Mark was written first. It is the shortest of the gospels. But it is interesting that out of the 661 verses in Mark, Matthew has 500 of them, almost word for word. It shows that Matthew was following Mark's Gospel as a template for his writings.
So, Mark wrote his first, Matthew second, and then Luke. And if you've ever read the introduction to Luke (the first four verses of Chapter 1), Luke says he has collected all the writings that he could find in order to write his gospel.
So, Luke had Matthew, he had Mark, and he had all the different writings from the different witnesses and the different people who were with Christ. So, he wrote his gospel, and out of the synoptic gospels, Luke's was written third and was written last.
Now the purpose for the Synoptic Gospels was to present a certain side of Jesus to a certain group of people. To the Jews they were presented the Messiah. To the Roman mind, the Servant, God who came as a Servant to die for our sins. And then Luke, his gospel was for the Gentiles.
We find a lot of literature in Matthew. This is very important because some pull verses out of Matthew that are not found in the other gospels, and they apply it incorrectly to Christians today because what you find in Matthew, you don't find anywhere else. It's because Matthew wrote them uniquely for the Jews. Ten parables in Matthew are not found anywhere else because they were written to the Jews. And we have to understand that from a Jewish perspective, not from a culture of the Gentiles. So, it is very important to understand how all these books function in their purpose.
We have already been warned about you.
Acts 20:28-30
Matthew 7:15-16
The sheep you are looking for - do not hear your voice.
Matthew 10:27-30
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.
The best place to commence reading is the New Testament's Book of John through to the Book of Jude.
Then go to the Old Testament books, commencing at the Book of Genesis and reading each book through to the end of Malachi.
Then continue on reading the remaining gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and finish with reading the Book of Revelation.
You should aim to read it through in a year - cover to cover. Generally speaking, reading three chapters of the Old Testament and one chapter of the New Testament each day should see you complete the task in the year.
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
1. Knowledge about the Bible is inexhaustible. You can never stop learning the many truths it contains.
2. If you are seeking the truths within God's word and not simply dabbling in it, God will keep giving your MORE TRUTHS:
"For whosoever hath [a passion for the truths in the Bible], to him shall be given [many more truths], and he shall have more abundance [including the WISDOM of God in a MYSTERY - 1 Cor 2:6-7]: but whosoever hath not ['truth' but prefers a religious viewpoint instead], from him shall be taken away [his salvation] even that he [thinks he] hath." ( Matthew 13:12)
3. It is hard to find a truly Bible-based church these days. nevertheless,
- keep looking for a church,
- keep reading your Bible,
- Check everything you are told by using your Bible,
- keep praying to God and Jesus for guidance,
- keep on "enduring to the end" ( Matthew 10:22)
Blessings, Brian!
Matthew 24:13 "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
Hebrews 10:36 "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."
Matthew 10:22 "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."
"Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." 2 Timothy 2:10 KJV
2 Corinthians 5:10
If there are no verses saying we are immediately saved before we die and are judged, why do people assume that? If not in the Bible where did this belief originate?
Previously; the concept has been introduced as to evidence of good or bad fruit as indicators of true or false salvation in earlier posts. The idea of self; somehow being able to adequately perform the behaviors such as illustrated in the Beatitudes on the Sermon on the Mount (i.e. be a peacemaker; meek; etc) basically demonstrates humanism in some form. I also mentioned the idea of "decisional regeneration". Often; there isn't much thought once we have "fire insurance" as it were; of such verses as 2 Corinthians 13:5 in testing ourselves to see if we are; indeed in the faith. Iron sharpening iron ( Prov. 27:17) is a way that God often uses to chastise us; which He does with all who are truly in the faith. We also should examine carefully the entire message of scripture; in this case the Beatitudes. Here it DEFINES who the meek are; those who are "despitefully used; wrongfully accused and otherwise abused" (my own rhyme giving the gist of the scripture). In the flesh we may put up with this; but expect someone to pity us; unlike what Jesus went through in Isaiah 53. To die for a friend is one thing; but for enemies is something else ( Romans 5:7-8).
The opposite also holds true; people somehow read the Gospels and think that Christ was all about bringing people together; peace and harmony. The unregenerate mind glosses over Matthew 10:34; 10:36; and the 10 times they tried to kill Jesus by various methods such as stoning and throwing him off a cliff BEFORE the cross. The last case was when Lazarus was raised from the dead when he along with Christ were in the final failed attempt at assassination. The world of course has trouble understanding the need for a bloody cross; of the fact that ALL of us are guilty for His death (at least the elect). Ultimately; to believe Christ is God (part of a triune God) has to be given by God ( Matt. 16:17).
Without God we can do nothing ( John 15:5). See also Hebrews 11:6.
I believe we have a all knowing God who can't be surprised who stands on the outside of time looking in!
Anything you are going to do next week or next year, in God's view you did it yesterday!
How can we know his judgments?
We know that he's just and we're all guilty.
He's righteous, Merciful, longsuffering and he's just, beyond what we can comprehend.
With that being said our minds don't measure up when trying to understand his Judgments.
So if we use his attributes along with what is consistent throughout ALL scripture as a principle to guide us we should come to conclusion hearing and receiving the word of God or refusing to hear and rejecting the word of God plays the primary role in God's Judgment.
So there must be an age of maturity enough for one to understand they need an savior because little two year old Billie is a sinner and he don't know it.
An accountability is likely when one matures and have understanding of some sort of consequences for sin, Some acknowledgement of the need for a savior.
And I believe God judges them according to what they receives.
Here's a few scriptures according to those basics.
Luke 10:13-14
Matthew 10:14-15.
Luke 12:47-48.
God shall judge righteous.
You see a picture of how he uses discretion in judgment in
Genesis 18:23-32.
Genesis 18:35 should be considered along with God's sovereign and foreknowledge and circumstances.
I believe there's a lot more going on in this dark world than what is on the surface and these things should be taken into consideration when questioning God's decision to destroy nations.
We could never fully understand God's methods of Judging but we can take what we do have in scripture and say one would have to be able to comprehend more than what a child is capable of to receive judgment without mercy.
Example.
DEUTERONOMY 1:39
Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day HAD NO KNOWLEDGE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL..
GB.
Now, I have a query on what you had earlier written (& now), in discussion with Jema a few days ago: "So when we look at the nature of God's Judgment program very carefully, we find that the Final Punishment is annihilation, that is destruction". And I quote this as you also shared here, "When was the last time you heard a sermon that focused on the Judgment and Wrath of God for sin?" Obviously, I think I have misunderstood you, where it appears that you believe that the final state of man is, either he's enjoying eternal life with the Lord, or a cessation of all existence (annihilation, as you put it). And then the "Wrath of God for sin" as you now stated. Without making any further assumptions, maybe you could clarify your belief, as in my mind I'm unable to reconcile the two statements.
I believe that Matthew 10:28 was quoted as a reference to the complete destruction of soul & body, to which the Greek word does support; as it does to John 3:16 ("perish"), Romans 2:12, 1 Corinthians 8:11, 2 Peter 3:9, and many others. But reference wasn't made to Daniel 12:1,2; Matthew 18:8,9; Matthew 25:46; Jude 1:7; Revelation 20:10,14,15; & others. In the light of these other Scriptures as well as the essence of the Gospel message which requires an eternal suffering, or else we don't have any Good News of salvation to give, how should we understand your statements? Blessings.
a. Judas' spiritual condition. I believe that none of the twelve were Christians. They may have portrayed that name (Christian) by following Jesus & being discipled by Him, but could not be considered to be Christians as defined post Acts chap 2. When Jesus sent them out to the lost sheep of Israel, He gave them power for that specific ministry & time ( Matthew 10:1-8), just as certain people in the OT received God's Spirit to accomplish their tasks ( Numbers 11:25-27; Othniel, Judges 3:10; Gideon, Judges 6:34; Jephthah, Judges 11:29; Isaiah 59:21; & many more) - none of these were permanently indwelt by the Spirit, but the Spirit was given by God for a special purpose. As you mentioned, Judas & the other eleven were all sinners, but the day would come when they would be transformed (except Judas who suicided), & do great exploits in Jesus' Name.
b. Water baptism. After the twelve (now Matthias is included here) had the Holy Spirit come upon them, and in them & baptized them with the evidence of speaking in 'unlearned' tongues, were these apostles ever water baptized? I never recall any of them writing of that event taking place in their lives. Of course, Paul did, but he was not of the twelve, as "one born out of due time", but were the twelve ever baptized in water? Jesus had left them before this time, so He couldn't do it and there was no one else that was born again at that time to do it, so I wonder what happened. Some maintain that they were definitely baptized, but there's no evidence of it, & if not baptized, then the apostles would have still baptized others. Or I've heard, that they baptized each other, which doesn't make sense as their testimony was the same. So maybe an unbaptized believer can baptize another.
**The Latter Day RAINS** (Zachariah 10:1) to come & wash our minds from what we think & our hearts from what we desire, that The MESSIAH may bless our minds to dwell on what The HE thinks & fill our hearts with what
*HE desires* to be done. For the good works of men are filthy rags & *The MESSIAH's Works* *endure For-Ever* & never a lack to their IN-crease. Who do you want to work for?
Pray for
*The POWER* of
The MESSIAH in
*The might of HIS strength* (Ephesians6:10 -17). And all 6 qualities mentioned of HIS great ARMOR. If we seek them out with all our heart&put on the 1st- 6 gifts, is it not his will to show us the *7th greater gift.
Pray without ceasing(meaning morning&evening) that we may
*be filled* with
*the full knowledge* of
*HIS will* for us in
*all wisdom* &
*spiritual understanding* (Colossians1:9).
Pray like the mighty & receive like the mighty, HE is not a respecter of mankind what HE has done for one, HE will do for another !!
That we may go forth girded up in HIS Truth, in HIS Power uncovering the great deceit in the last days & expose it with HIS Truth, silencing the scoffers in love & leading many to HIS magnificent Truth.
Pray for YAHSHUA to send HIS Word that The SPIRIT of YAHWEH may bring IT to our remembrance, teaching us how our prayers may come in before HIM w/the fibrant prayer(the knocking) of the righteous(is it not written,James&Paul knew). That HE may open HE's gates w/Thanksgiving & enter into HIS courts w/praise, that HE may hear our prayers as sweet incense & act upon them(king David & John the Revelator knew). Because we pray according to The SPIRIT of Truth bringing to our remembrance The LivingWORD of The Magnificent SON, The MOUTHPIECE of The FATHER YAHWEH unto all the creation !!
Let us pray to be among them, that ar jump higher &shouting louder, great thanksgiving & praise, crying out look what YAHSHUA can do with a lowly one like me!
Assurance of salvation, cont.
In the gospels we read the story of Judas. A disciple, an apostle, he baprized new believers in water like the rest ( John 4:2), he was given authority over the Spirit to perform miracles and healings ( Luke 9:6), cast out demons, he was sent by Jesus to preach salvation ( Matthew 10:5-15), he was told that he, together with the rest, in the Judgement will sit on a throne and judge the 12 tribes of Israel. But in the midtime Judas allowed his heart to love money more than Jesus and eventually his love for money led him to become Jesus' trator. Why? Because his heart deceived him. People who hold the belief that salvation can not be lost try to overcome Judas' example by saying that he wasn't actually saved. for that they use the verse in John 17:12, "While I (Jesus) was with them (the 12) in the world, I kept them in thy name (Saviour): those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." So a sinful man, not saved, was sent to preach salvation to Israel? Was given gifts of healing and performing miracles? A son of satan who casts out devils? Really? No, not really. What Jesus says is that he managed to save all but Judas because Judas took the decision for himself to become a traitor, a son of perdition, like the Scriptures said and so the prophesy was fulfilled. And something else. Even if Judas never betrayed Jesus, still the Jews would capture Him sometime, one way or another. Judas wasn't their only choise.
Another example of a man who let his heart deceive him is Demas, a companion of Paul during his ministry. But eventually he left Paul, 2 Timothy 4:10, "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; ...". Demas eventually loved the sinful world more than God and left Paul. Who was Demas? We don't really know. But we know that Paul was very strict when he selected his partners in the ministry.
My thoughts on Assurance of Salvation
Richard, I continue my posts from yesterday.
In Philippians 2:12 Paul advices believers "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling".
Why fear and trembling? Fear what? Although the meaning of the verse is clear, I would like to point out another fear, not about our salvation but about our heart.
In Jeremiah 17:9, it is written "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" We don't really know our heart, we don't know how we are going to act when a temptation comes infront of us, that is why in the "Our Father in Heaven" we ask God to take temptations away from us.
In the parable of the Sower the 2nd and 3rd cases are about people who believed and were saved but still later in their lives they fell out,
Luke 8:13-14, " 13They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection."
In the 3rd case it is very evident of where our heart can lead us if we are not careful in our spiritual life. Jesus said that "where our heart is, also our treasure is" and the opposite "where our treasure is also our heart is" is true. Jesus also asked us to love Him more even than our lives ( Matthew 10:37-39). Why? Because a. He deserves that and b. this will give us the assurance that we will follow Him to the end. If in the midtime we love something else more than Jesus then it is that that we are going to follow and not God, so we will leave our christian course. And that will lead us into trouble.