Throughout the years of interacting with, reading, and listening to an uncountable number of Christians, it has astounded me they, for the most part, aren't aware of the comprehensive call believers have in this world.
It is probably stated simply and best in response to the disciples' request for Jesus to teach them how to pray. I want to focus on the portion where He told us to pray, 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven' (Mt. 6:10). It can't get any clearer than that. We are to pray that the same way the will of God and kingdom of God are expressed in heaven, is to be the same way they are expressed on the earth.
That means all areas of life in this world are to come under the dominion of Jesus Christ. There is nothing that will be left untouched by the great Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As the Great Commission states (Mt: 18-20):
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I
am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Again, this is a comprehensive command from Jesus. It begins with the fact that all power was given to Him in heaven and earth, an obvious reference coinciding with our being told to pray for His will to be done and His kingdom to come on earth as in heaven. We can do it because Jesus in fact has all power in heaven and earth. There is none He doesn't have. And He shares that authority with His people to accomplish His will of taking dominion over the earth, which was commanded to the first human beings - Adam and Eve.
What are we praying for when we pray the prayer Jesus taught us? We're praying that every area of life on this earth is permeated with the person of Jesus Christ; that all things in the Holy Scriptures are obeyed and adopted as how we are to live life on this earth.
It of course demands responsibility. But this is one of the reasons He sent the Holy Spirit, in order to help us to accomplish our God-given tasks.
We must learn to broaden our view of what Jesus was communicating to us. He does expect to come back to a world that has responded to His call and requirements. He will come back to a world that is full of the presence of God, in that people everywhere will have adopted His commands as their way of life.
There is nothing that can stop this from happening. We must take up this banner and march forward, knowing that He has promised us victory.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Friday, July 24, 2015
The Lord's House Will Rule the World - In This Life
Isaiah 2: (KJV)
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Micah 4 (KJV)
4 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Most Christians reading this assume it talks of a period of time after the resurrection of the saints. That's simply not true.
When you do a study of the last days, it's a reference to when Christ was on the earth (Heb. 1:2) and right after He went back to heaven, on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit was sent (Acts 2:17). That's the definition of last days, and that's what the scriptures above refer to went mentioning what will happen in the last days, which we are already in.
This obviously isn't referring to a time when Jesus will allegedly come to earth and rule from a centralized throne in Jerusalem. That would contradict His plan of the Gospel being spread through all the earth. What it means is Jerusalem will be represented locally by all believers in a specific locale, and the people in those regions will come to those for the word of the Lord and His law.
In other words, Jerusalem in what it represents, will be expressed locally, and all of those seeking God will go to the local church to receive instruction. It also points to the followers of Jesus Christ living in consistent obedience and having been conformed to the image of Jesus. This is what will attract those seeking a similar way of living and life.
There is a great victory ahead of us, as we live and operate under the victory Jesus Christ already won. We are to apply God's word and law to all situations in life, as we obey them ourselves. That will gradually, consistently and persistently grow over time, until the entire earth is filled with the glory of the Lord (Numbers 14:21, Habakkuk 2:14); which is a reference to His people living in obedience to Him, not His general presence being in the earth. His general presence has always been there since creation. The glory of the Lord, in this case, is a reference to Him being glorified in a people who represent who He is, and are a city that lights up the entire world.
That's why in the last days, which we're already living in, the nations will flow to the people of God to learn His ways. They will be attracted by the light and victorious life they're living in.
As the Scriptures teach, the house of the Lord will be established. Our job is to walk in obedience to God and love Him will all our hearts, and our neighbors as ourselves. That is the basic framework that all of the commands of God are based upon, which we are to learn and obey.
This is Jesus' New World Order.
Friday, July 17, 2015
Misunderstanding and Attacking the Great Commission
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
It seems many people calling themselves Christians like to quote verses 18 and 19 of Matthew 28, but then seem to willingly forget the last verse, which is to go to the nations and teach them they are to obey everything Jesus commanded them.
Recently I came across another clueless person that named the name of Jesus Christ, admonishing those attempting to respond to that direct command of Jesus, telling them to stop being the "morality police." That was of course a inflammatory remark to attempt to intimidate those teaching what He told us to.
This person actually operated from a point of view of speaking from a superior outlook and position.
It's hard to believe these fearful people have fallen this far from the clear commands and expectations of Jesus Christ. Of course we're to be the morality police. All through the Scriptures the people of God were expected to not only obey God, but to teach others His laws and commands, with the expectation they were to obey those commands. Call it what you will. That is the direct order of our Lord and Savior.
Jesus of course wasn't only telling them to teach all of the Scripture, as He was the personification of them, being the word of God Himself. From Genesis to Revelation, we are to teach the unlearned what Jesus Christ as commanded, and that they are to obey those commands.
The idea of mocking those who do that with a childish taunt of we're now "morality police," is a testimony against those who name the name of Christ but are ashamed of who and what He is.
We are to do nothing less toward the nations than teach them the whole counsel of God.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
It seems many people calling themselves Christians like to quote verses 18 and 19 of Matthew 28, but then seem to willingly forget the last verse, which is to go to the nations and teach them they are to obey everything Jesus commanded them.
Recently I came across another clueless person that named the name of Jesus Christ, admonishing those attempting to respond to that direct command of Jesus, telling them to stop being the "morality police." That was of course a inflammatory remark to attempt to intimidate those teaching what He told us to.
This person actually operated from a point of view of speaking from a superior outlook and position.
It's hard to believe these fearful people have fallen this far from the clear commands and expectations of Jesus Christ. Of course we're to be the morality police. All through the Scriptures the people of God were expected to not only obey God, but to teach others His laws and commands, with the expectation they were to obey those commands. Call it what you will. That is the direct order of our Lord and Savior.
Jesus of course wasn't only telling them to teach all of the Scripture, as He was the personification of them, being the word of God Himself. From Genesis to Revelation, we are to teach the unlearned what Jesus Christ as commanded, and that they are to obey those commands.
The idea of mocking those who do that with a childish taunt of we're now "morality police," is a testimony against those who name the name of Christ but are ashamed of who and what He is.
We are to do nothing less toward the nations than teach them the whole counsel of God.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments
If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).
The idea of the love of Jesus Christ has become so distorted, that it makes it necessary to go back to the simple and powerful statement from the Lord Himself, who said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." There is no honest way to interpret this as meaning something other than the obvious fact, that if we're not obeying His commandments we don't love Him.
In today's strange idea of what love means in the eyes of people naming the name of Christ, it has become something that refers to sentimentality and feelings, rather than obedience. As long as someone has this nice feeling about Jesus, that has become the definition and meaning of love, rather than obeying all that He has commanded us in the Scriptures.
That's not to say we won't have feelings of appreciation for Jesus. It means if those feelings aren't accompanied by obedience, it isn't love; it's something soulish that has replaced love as defined by Christ.
It also doesn't mean we won't fail at some time and sin. All of us will. The point is we won't have sin as a lifestyle, and when we do sin, we immediately repent and turn away from it. We must confess it to Jesus Christ, and He will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John. 1:9).
There is no way we can comply with the command of Christ to subdue the earth if we aren't walking in obedience to His laws and commands. After all, what type of world would be the result of those walking in disobedience? Well, we already have the answer. Just look around you to see.
The idea of the love of Jesus Christ has become so distorted, that it makes it necessary to go back to the simple and powerful statement from the Lord Himself, who said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." There is no honest way to interpret this as meaning something other than the obvious fact, that if we're not obeying His commandments we don't love Him.
In today's strange idea of what love means in the eyes of people naming the name of Christ, it has become something that refers to sentimentality and feelings, rather than obedience. As long as someone has this nice feeling about Jesus, that has become the definition and meaning of love, rather than obeying all that He has commanded us in the Scriptures.
That's not to say we won't have feelings of appreciation for Jesus. It means if those feelings aren't accompanied by obedience, it isn't love; it's something soulish that has replaced love as defined by Christ.
It also doesn't mean we won't fail at some time and sin. All of us will. The point is we won't have sin as a lifestyle, and when we do sin, we immediately repent and turn away from it. We must confess it to Jesus Christ, and He will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John. 1:9).
There is no way we can comply with the command of Christ to subdue the earth if we aren't walking in obedience to His laws and commands. After all, what type of world would be the result of those walking in disobedience? Well, we already have the answer. Just look around you to see.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Old Things Have Passed Away, All Things Have Become New
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 (KJV)
16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
If there is one verse in the scriptures which captures the essence of Jesus' New World Order, it is 2 Corinthians 5:17. It can't be any clearer than that. If we have truly been born again, we are a new creature, or new creation. That means who we were before will fade away in the light of Jesus Christ.
There are a number of phrases in the Bible that include the word new in them, which are part of this great revelation and reality. They include, new wine, new covenant (testament), new commandment, new creature, new creation, new man, new heavens, new earth, new Jerusalem, new name and new song. There are more of them, but you get the point.
Everything is new in Christ, and the Spirit of God within us starts to bring in God's new world order, which is based and built upon the person of Jesus Christ.
When Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker was God, it wasn't some city in the sky somewhere he was looking for. What he was looking for was a city built upon the very person of God. Not only would God be the architect, but in fact, would be the architecture itself.
That architecture now resides in those truly born from above by the Holy Spirit, and is now working in us to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ.
This doesn't mean His work is only within, but that it starts there. He comes down from heaven and resides within us, and from there starts to build His character, obedience to His commands, and finally, to bring that which is worked within to the world. That's the dominion side of His image, which we as believers, are to bear.
The old things that have passed away are this world, the old creation, sin, the flesh, and everything else that is contrary to the Word of God and sound doctrine.
I'm not saying that happens instantaneously in a believers life, but it will immediately begin when truly born from above, and will continue to work to change us as long as we're alive on planet earth.
What this all means is Jesus Christ has taken up residence within us, and everything that is not of Christ will be dealt with, as it must bow down before Him who is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Over time that which is within works itself out into the visible world, in order that the invisible and visible on this earth come together in unity as to the will of God in Jesus Christ.
That's Jesus' New World Order, and what He had in mind before the creation of the world. That's His eternal purpose.
So when the scriptures say the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord, it's not talking about His general presence, but the fact His people have been transformed into His likeness (never perfectly before the resurrection) and are now starting to rule and reign on the earth, being a kingdom of priests.
16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
If there is one verse in the scriptures which captures the essence of Jesus' New World Order, it is 2 Corinthians 5:17. It can't be any clearer than that. If we have truly been born again, we are a new creature, or new creation. That means who we were before will fade away in the light of Jesus Christ.
There are a number of phrases in the Bible that include the word new in them, which are part of this great revelation and reality. They include, new wine, new covenant (testament), new commandment, new creature, new creation, new man, new heavens, new earth, new Jerusalem, new name and new song. There are more of them, but you get the point.
Everything is new in Christ, and the Spirit of God within us starts to bring in God's new world order, which is based and built upon the person of Jesus Christ.
When Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker was God, it wasn't some city in the sky somewhere he was looking for. What he was looking for was a city built upon the very person of God. Not only would God be the architect, but in fact, would be the architecture itself.
That architecture now resides in those truly born from above by the Holy Spirit, and is now working in us to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ.
This doesn't mean His work is only within, but that it starts there. He comes down from heaven and resides within us, and from there starts to build His character, obedience to His commands, and finally, to bring that which is worked within to the world. That's the dominion side of His image, which we as believers, are to bear.
The old things that have passed away are this world, the old creation, sin, the flesh, and everything else that is contrary to the Word of God and sound doctrine.
I'm not saying that happens instantaneously in a believers life, but it will immediately begin when truly born from above, and will continue to work to change us as long as we're alive on planet earth.
What this all means is Jesus Christ has taken up residence within us, and everything that is not of Christ will be dealt with, as it must bow down before Him who is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Over time that which is within works itself out into the visible world, in order that the invisible and visible on this earth come together in unity as to the will of God in Jesus Christ.
That's Jesus' New World Order, and what He had in mind before the creation of the world. That's His eternal purpose.
So when the scriptures say the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord, it's not talking about His general presence, but the fact His people have been transformed into His likeness (never perfectly before the resurrection) and are now starting to rule and reign on the earth, being a kingdom of priests.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Women Don't Get a Free Rainbow Pass
Leviticus 18: 22
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13
13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Most true believers are aware that homosexuality is an abomination and sin before God. Recently I've come across some people attempting to make it look like the Holy Scriptures have nothing to say about lesbianism, and it's okay to participate in sex between women.
The scriptures above are used as evidence, with the idea that it only says men can't lie with men; it says nothing about women.
We of course know about the most obvious rebuke of lesbianism in Romans, where it says this:
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
In the attempt to make it look like there was no command there, but God simply giving them over to lusts.
The key to understanding the rebuke is to focus on the word nature. God created nature. So that means if women are engaging in sexual acts together, they are in disobedience to God, because nature was a reflection of His eternal and invisible things that reveal God, as verse 20 of Romans 1 says.
So creation and nature revealed the invisible things of God, and so people who violate those principles are in direct disobedience to God.
That's one truth that tears down the lie that it's okay for women to be lesbians.
Another less known scripture comes from Deuteronomy 23:17, which states this:
There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
Since Leviticus 19:29 already dealt with general prostitution, it's clear this is referring to something different.
Lev. 19:29, says, Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.
The word for whore in Deuteronomy 23:17 is one that points to a temple prostitute. It comes from the word sodomite, which pointed to a male temple prostitute, which of course was one of homosexual interactions.
So the whore referenced in Dt. 23.17, is the female version of that, which meant these were lesbian prostitutes catering to women. The feminine of the word is according to 'Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament.
Next time someone attempts to persuade you that any homosexuality is okay, including lesbianism, don't buy into the lie. Throughout the Bible God condemns the practice and considers it an abomination.
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13
13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Most true believers are aware that homosexuality is an abomination and sin before God. Recently I've come across some people attempting to make it look like the Holy Scriptures have nothing to say about lesbianism, and it's okay to participate in sex between women.
The scriptures above are used as evidence, with the idea that it only says men can't lie with men; it says nothing about women.
We of course know about the most obvious rebuke of lesbianism in Romans, where it says this:
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
In the attempt to make it look like there was no command there, but God simply giving them over to lusts.
The key to understanding the rebuke is to focus on the word nature. God created nature. So that means if women are engaging in sexual acts together, they are in disobedience to God, because nature was a reflection of His eternal and invisible things that reveal God, as verse 20 of Romans 1 says.
So creation and nature revealed the invisible things of God, and so people who violate those principles are in direct disobedience to God.
That's one truth that tears down the lie that it's okay for women to be lesbians.
Another less known scripture comes from Deuteronomy 23:17, which states this:
There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
Since Leviticus 19:29 already dealt with general prostitution, it's clear this is referring to something different.
Lev. 19:29, says, Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.
The word for whore in Deuteronomy 23:17 is one that points to a temple prostitute. It comes from the word sodomite, which pointed to a male temple prostitute, which of course was one of homosexual interactions.
So the whore referenced in Dt. 23.17, is the female version of that, which meant these were lesbian prostitutes catering to women. The feminine of the word is according to 'Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament.
Next time someone attempts to persuade you that any homosexuality is okay, including lesbianism, don't buy into the lie. Throughout the Bible God condemns the practice and considers it an abomination.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Nebuchadnezzar and Jesus' New World Order
Daniel 2
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
In what I consider one of the most fascinating and powerful portions of the Holy Scriptures, God gave a dream to Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, describing the season and significance of the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth to set up His kingdom.
His kingdom, which came into being with the manifestation of the Son of God, was prophesied to be an everlasting kingdom which would stand forever, and one that "shall never be destroyed." It couldn't be any clearer than that.
A new creation had come in the person of Jesus Christ, and after His victorious death, burial, resurrection and ascension to the Father, He was given authority over everything.
Then at Pentecost, with the indwelling of the first believers, He shared that authority with them, and by extension, to all of those that truly believe on Him.
This is why it states in several places in the Bible that we have been made "kings and priests" unto our God and His Father (Revelation 1:6).
That isn't all though. It adds that the kingdom set up by God through Jesus Christ "shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms." There aren't two ways to interpret that. It's as clear as can be. God's kingdom will in fact take dominion over all other kingdoms. The question isn't whether or not that is true, the question is what does it mean.
One thing it means for sure is there is going to be a battle between competing kingdoms, and even though Jesus already won the battle at Calvary, that victory is to be worked out in history through His holy and obedient people.
The purpose of this article is to remind you of this, and to encourage you at this time, when it appears by all the outward manifestations that there has been a major defeat. While this has spread across the media, we need to take heart, as these are only temporary setbacks, and really only skirmishes that will escalate going forward.
For now I believe God is using this time to expose false brethren that have infiltrated the church in order to spread their evil and demonic agenda to those who oppose these things, in hopes of convincing them or taking them over in order to control the narrative and deal a death blow to the true believers.
I've got news for you. It ain't going to happen. God is not mocked, and we should take heart at this time concerning these events, as it will strengthen the church and true Christians for what is going to be a whopper of battle in which we will emerge victorious.
So quiet yourselves, rest and trust in Him, and know that the battle is the Lord's, and He is going forth from a position of a victory He has already won. We simply need to learn how to respond to this evil under the guidance of the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. We will prevail.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
We Must Obey God Rather Than Men
There was a time in the early church when the Apostles were ordered to stop teaching in the name of Jesus, and responded saying this, "We ought to obey God rather than men."
We are now in a time when we will be tested concerning these words, as mankind continues to flaunt and reject the laws and commands of God, while at the same time now attempting to make true believers in Jesus Christ accept their rebellion and deviancy.
Here's the context of that encounter in the Holy Scriptures (KJV):
25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
True and faithful Christians are going to be tested concerning these things, as the people of God and those pretending to be will be forced to make a decision as to where they stand: will they obey God, or will they succumb to the pressure to obey men?
The time to reject the commands of men as they oppose the commands of God is upon us, as we have been put into a corner to do so. When I say the time to reject the commands of men that oppose God's commands are upon us, I don't mean by that we haven't always been required to do so, but that we are now, because of wicked laws being imposed on us, must do so.
A resistance will rise, and we must embrace and be part of it wherever we live and have an influence.
As James said in James 4:17, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
With that in mind, we must resist complying to laws that countermand God's laws. The most recent of course is the ruling concerning so-called same-sex marriage, which in the eyes of God is not marriage. Same-sex sexual relations aren't allowed by God, so by extension, this parody of marriage is not recognized by God, and neither should it be by believers.
When God gives His opinion on a matter, we are not to tolerate in any way that which opposed it. We are in fact called to be intolerant concerning these matters. We shouldn't care one way or the other if our enemies call us names and accuse us of being intolerant. Of course we must be intolerant of evil.
For many believers, this is something new to them, but don't be overwhelmed or discouraged. Jesus Christ will rule and reign in and from heaven until all His enemies are put beneath His feet. That battle will and is being engaged in by His representatives and the representatives of Satan. Jesus already won the battle with Satan, and now we are to enter into a period of time of taking that victory and applying it to our specific circumstances and sphere of influence.
It starts with our families and Christian friends, and spread out from there.
For now we need to pray for God to raise up against this and be willing to cooperate with Him in it at whatever capacity we're called to. We should familiarize ourselves with the issues and be willing to teach and speak out against it in whatever we're good at.
It can be when we spend time teaching our children or talking about these things with our spouses, or in producing content that will speak to these issues. That could be video, writing, blogging, or whatever skills we have to offer to God to make a difference.
The major point is we must understand we're in a battle, and should be prepared to obey God no matter what happens.
Further yet, we not only need to take a defensive position via civil disobedience, but we also need to become more offensive in our outlook, as God has called us from the beginning to subdue the earth.
He has been given all authority, and has commanded us to teach the nations to obey all His commands; and those include from Genesis to Revelation.
We are now in a time when we will be tested concerning these words, as mankind continues to flaunt and reject the laws and commands of God, while at the same time now attempting to make true believers in Jesus Christ accept their rebellion and deviancy.
Here's the context of that encounter in the Holy Scriptures (KJV):
25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
True and faithful Christians are going to be tested concerning these things, as the people of God and those pretending to be will be forced to make a decision as to where they stand: will they obey God, or will they succumb to the pressure to obey men?
The time to reject the commands of men as they oppose the commands of God is upon us, as we have been put into a corner to do so. When I say the time to reject the commands of men that oppose God's commands are upon us, I don't mean by that we haven't always been required to do so, but that we are now, because of wicked laws being imposed on us, must do so.
A resistance will rise, and we must embrace and be part of it wherever we live and have an influence.
As James said in James 4:17, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
With that in mind, we must resist complying to laws that countermand God's laws. The most recent of course is the ruling concerning so-called same-sex marriage, which in the eyes of God is not marriage. Same-sex sexual relations aren't allowed by God, so by extension, this parody of marriage is not recognized by God, and neither should it be by believers.
When God gives His opinion on a matter, we are not to tolerate in any way that which opposed it. We are in fact called to be intolerant concerning these matters. We shouldn't care one way or the other if our enemies call us names and accuse us of being intolerant. Of course we must be intolerant of evil.
For many believers, this is something new to them, but don't be overwhelmed or discouraged. Jesus Christ will rule and reign in and from heaven until all His enemies are put beneath His feet. That battle will and is being engaged in by His representatives and the representatives of Satan. Jesus already won the battle with Satan, and now we are to enter into a period of time of taking that victory and applying it to our specific circumstances and sphere of influence.
It starts with our families and Christian friends, and spread out from there.
For now we need to pray for God to raise up against this and be willing to cooperate with Him in it at whatever capacity we're called to. We should familiarize ourselves with the issues and be willing to teach and speak out against it in whatever we're good at.
It can be when we spend time teaching our children or talking about these things with our spouses, or in producing content that will speak to these issues. That could be video, writing, blogging, or whatever skills we have to offer to God to make a difference.
The major point is we must understand we're in a battle, and should be prepared to obey God no matter what happens.
Further yet, we not only need to take a defensive position via civil disobedience, but we also need to become more offensive in our outlook, as God has called us from the beginning to subdue the earth.
He has been given all authority, and has commanded us to teach the nations to obey all His commands; and those include from Genesis to Revelation.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone
Dt. 8
1 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.
2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
Mt. 4:4
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
I am convinced these scriptures and what they mean, must be embraced anew by Christians, as we enter into an extraordinary period of time where we move further into ruling and reining on this earth. That means of course there will be many battles ahead.
The verses in Deuteronomy were delivered a little before Israel was to go and take the promised land. God gave them understanding into why he did what he did with them during that forty years as they waited for the generation that refused to go in to die off.
There's a lot of truth in these Scriptures, but I want to focus primarily on the framework represented in regard to going to battle of taking the land and the coming victories.
First, the word of God as referred to here is directly correlated with the law received by Moses from God and communicated to Israel. Over and over again as they prepared to take the land, God reminded and exhorted them to be sure to remember the covenant and to obey His commandments.
That's also the importance of Jesus' first temptation as well, as He spend forty days and forty nights fasting, which without a doubt correlated with the forty years of struggle Israel had to endure. So it's not surprising food was a part of the first temptation, as that was always a challenge and weakness to Israel, which caused them to complain and in some cases, rebel against God.
In the upcoming battles and promised victories, God wanted Israel to know that even when they were filled and had everything they needed, they had to understand that living in obedience to the word of God was still required, and represented real and full life. We must embrace that same attitude toward God and His commands.
The challenge for God has always been to be able to bless His people without them thinking they accomplished anything in their own strength. They also had a tendency to stop trusting God when they were full, as they were able to see their provision right in front of them, and consequently stopped trusting in God as the source of that provision.
My major point in this article is to show that living by God's word was directly related to His law or commands, and that was strongly emphasized as they prepared to go to battle. It must be the same with us.
No matter what the temporary circumstances we may face concerning struggles and challenges, we have to continue to search out and obey God's Word, as that is true life, whether things at the time are going the way we want them or not.
If we don't respond to God in this way, the result will be to have His word be negated as far as its impact upon us, as the worries and anxieties will choke it out and make it ineffective, as Mark 4 says in the parable of the sower. The problem isn't the Word or seed, the problem is the condition of the ground it is planted in.
Whether we like it or not or are ready or not, we are being forced to engage our enemies, and we need to be sure we're living in obedience to God's commands, or we'll get swept away in defeat.
DT. 11:8 says, "Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;..."
A key part of preparation for successful battle is that we are walking in obedience to God's commands. That gives us strength to enter into warfare and win. This is what Jesus' New World Order is all about.
Just remember, when we are told "man shall not live by bread alone," the framework of that is the commandments God has given us to obey, which are essential to taking the land.
1 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.
2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
Mt. 4:4
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
I am convinced these scriptures and what they mean, must be embraced anew by Christians, as we enter into an extraordinary period of time where we move further into ruling and reining on this earth. That means of course there will be many battles ahead.
The verses in Deuteronomy were delivered a little before Israel was to go and take the promised land. God gave them understanding into why he did what he did with them during that forty years as they waited for the generation that refused to go in to die off.
There's a lot of truth in these Scriptures, but I want to focus primarily on the framework represented in regard to going to battle of taking the land and the coming victories.
First, the word of God as referred to here is directly correlated with the law received by Moses from God and communicated to Israel. Over and over again as they prepared to take the land, God reminded and exhorted them to be sure to remember the covenant and to obey His commandments.
That's also the importance of Jesus' first temptation as well, as He spend forty days and forty nights fasting, which without a doubt correlated with the forty years of struggle Israel had to endure. So it's not surprising food was a part of the first temptation, as that was always a challenge and weakness to Israel, which caused them to complain and in some cases, rebel against God.
In the upcoming battles and promised victories, God wanted Israel to know that even when they were filled and had everything they needed, they had to understand that living in obedience to the word of God was still required, and represented real and full life. We must embrace that same attitude toward God and His commands.
The challenge for God has always been to be able to bless His people without them thinking they accomplished anything in their own strength. They also had a tendency to stop trusting God when they were full, as they were able to see their provision right in front of them, and consequently stopped trusting in God as the source of that provision.
My major point in this article is to show that living by God's word was directly related to His law or commands, and that was strongly emphasized as they prepared to go to battle. It must be the same with us.
No matter what the temporary circumstances we may face concerning struggles and challenges, we have to continue to search out and obey God's Word, as that is true life, whether things at the time are going the way we want them or not.
If we don't respond to God in this way, the result will be to have His word be negated as far as its impact upon us, as the worries and anxieties will choke it out and make it ineffective, as Mark 4 says in the parable of the sower. The problem isn't the Word or seed, the problem is the condition of the ground it is planted in.
Whether we like it or not or are ready or not, we are being forced to engage our enemies, and we need to be sure we're living in obedience to God's commands, or we'll get swept away in defeat.
DT. 11:8 says, "Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;..."
A key part of preparation for successful battle is that we are walking in obedience to God's commands. That gives us strength to enter into warfare and win. This is what Jesus' New World Order is all about.
Just remember, when we are told "man shall not live by bread alone," the framework of that is the commandments God has given us to obey, which are essential to taking the land.
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