Was The Apostle Peter The First Pope?

Posted on March 11, 2022March 13, 2022 by admin

Is it true that Peter was the first pope? Based on their line of Apostolic succession from Saint Peter, one of Jesus‘ twelve original Apostles, to the present day, the roman catholic church maintains that Peter was in fact the first Pope.

The Catholic church thus claims that the Roman Catholic church is the only real church apart from which there can be no salvation, based on this uninterrupted line of Apostolic succession.

Some Catholics may counter that this is simply not true and that the Catholic church does not teach that they are the only way for people to be saved.

Now, while I agree that there are real christians in numerous protestant churches, as individual catholics within the catholic church, the official position of the roman catholic church, according to its vatican congregation, is that the catholic church alone is the one true church.

However, some catholics may claim that, as a result of vatican II, the roman catholic church now recognizes that the fundamentals of salvation do exist in other churches as well.

If you read carefully, you will notice that the catholic church continues to teach that they are the only true church, and that protestant churches that have seceded from the catholic church are not considered churches at all.

Furthermore, the catholic church forbids anyone from receiving communion unless they have been baptized in the catholic church.

Some parishes may be willing to provide communion to christians who have not been baptized in the catholic church, but they are doing so in defiance of the official ruling of the catholic bishops who establish the church dogma.

Now there is talk of changing these dogmas, but no changes have been done yet, only talk.

As a result, many catholics will not question the teachings of the catholic church to determine if they are being taught the truth of God’s word, because the roman catholic church officially preaches that they are the one and only one true church.

But, I can assure you that the catholic church is not the only church that teaches salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. And in this time together we will show that all anyone needs to grasp the Gospel of our salvation is the word for Truth, the Holy Bible, which is The Almighty God’s own word.

That’s the truth. If you want clear, simple, and straightforward answers to what you must do to be saved, go straight to the Source, God’s Word, the Holy Bible, and read the Truth as God commands us to do.

You will see that there is no place in the Bible where Peter is referred to as the “Supreme Pontiff” over the other apostles. You will also find no evidence in the Bible that Peter ever visited Rome.

Only 15 times does the word “Rome” appear in the Bible, and Peter is nowhere to be found in any of these chapters relating to Rome. The truth is that the Bible makes no reference to Peter ever visiting Rome.

Some catholic apologists may try to counter by using 1 Peter 5:13, in which Peter says,

“She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.”

Some Bible historians believe that the word “Babylon” was a code name for the city of Rome that early christians used to avoid persecution of the church in Rome.

Now, while this reading may be correct, other Bible experts contend that, according to Josephus’ (Romano-Jewish historian) writings, Babylon was an actual city at that time in history, and that Peter was speaking of Babylon, not Rome.

In any case, the context of this verse does not require Peter to be in Rome or Babylon, assuming they are two different locations, in order to send greetings on behalf of this church wherever it may be.

You can see letters of greeting being sent to and from other churches all of the time to check how their fellow believers were doing.

It wouldn’t be any different today if a brother or sister from another church wrote to another brother or sister from Rome, and said, Mark, whenever you write to the church in Galatia, give them greetings on our behalf from the church in Babylon or Rome.

If you accept no other interpretation and demand that Babylon be a code name for the city of Rome, please read 1 Peter 5:12,13 for yourself. You will see that this is just a welcome from Peter given for or on behalf of the church at Babylon or Rome.

¹²By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. ¹³She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.

I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand, by Silvanus, a good brother unto you, as I presume. (In other words, I Peter has written unto you who are in Galatia to exhort you and to give you greetings from Silvanus who is at Babylon or Rome, if you like, who speaks for…)

¹³She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. ¹⁴Greet one another with the kiss of love.

This one ambiguous verse, on the other hand, provides more evidence that Peter was never in Rome, let alone the supreme pontiff or pope over the church at Rome as the seat of the entire church body of believers, rather than laying the foundation for supreme authority to be given to one man over the entire church.

We can see, how critical it is to base the church’s beliefs or teachings on what the Bible plainly teaches us, rather than on church traditions?

Whenever there has been a dispute over doctrine or an argument over what some in the church were teaching, they have always gone back to the teachings of Jesus and the twelve original Apostles of Jesus who were eyewitnesses to what actually happened and heard what was actually said by Jesus, and we have these writings of the first apostles recorded for us all to read for ourselves to decide for ourselves.

In other words, do not teach dogmatic doctrine if it is not clear, plain, and simple to observe and understand. And the roman catholic church dogmatically preaches that it is the one true church and the only church that can trace its roots all the way back to Peter being the first pope.

However, this isn’t the whole story. Other protestant denominations claim to be able to trace their roots all the way back to Jesus. If you want to learn more about the linage of these other churches, there are some websites out there that show how these other churches trace their roots back to Jesus, but certainly if any church that claims to trace its apostolic succession back to the early apostles is teaching a false doctrine.

So, whether or not you can trace your denomination’s church roots back to Jesus’ earliest apostles in an uninterrupted line of apostolic succession is irrelevant. This is not what distinguishes a true church from others by ensuring that none of its teachings are flawed. The only way to fully know if what you are being taught is the truth is to go right to God’s Word for yourself.

Then there are some protestant churches that are more flexible, and they have a secondary list of debatable teachings that are taught as truth, but they are more flexible, and thus they are allowed to be discussed freely and debated using scripture as long as everyone agrees not to become hostile and cause strife if they cannot accept what their fellow brother or sister believes. Then these teachings can be reformed and adjustments made to make them clearer and easier to understand so that they agree with God’s entire word.

The roman catholic church, on the other hand, does not allow its authority to be called into question in any of its teachings. The official position of the Roman catholic church is as follows:

For instance, if you believe that a women should be ordained as priest… “Only a baptized man validly gets ordination,” says paragraph 1577 of the Catholic Church’s Catechism. As a result, women’s ordination is not conceivable!” Maybe you think contraception is a good idea. Contraception is essentially immoral, according to paragraph 2370.

When you choose to reject some teachings that you disagree with, you are undermining the authority that Christ bestowed on the Church, and you begin to follow your own “catechism” rather than the teachings of Christ’s Church.

Our faith is no longer christian if we don’t believe all of God’s Word if we individually declare ourselves pope and throw out teachings here or there.

First and foremost, I want to emphasize that Jesus gave his church authority to fearlessly preach and teach His Gospel, not our own gospel.

There are many different groups of believers who do indeed speak the same thing about the core essential teaching that Jesus is the Son of the Almighty God the Father and that the Almighty God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son to suffer and die for the sins of the whole world that whoever believes in his son Jesus shall not perish, but shall be given eternal life.

Any teaching that goes beyond this core belief that is acknowledged and believed by the whole group of believers is debatable and should not be taught dogmatically as essential to salvation.

According to the Bible, God invited Paul to preach to Rome, not Peter, hence Peter was not the first Pope.

In Acts 23:11, the Lord personally summoned Paul to be a testimony for him in Rome.

¹¹The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

God called Paul, not Peter, to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in Rome, as the catholic church would have catholics believe, because if the catholic church fails to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the so-called authority of an unbroken apostolic succession, they will lose all credibility as the one and only true church, apart from which there can be no salvation, and as a result, they will lose members who have questions about their teachings.

Didn’t Peter realize he was in a position entrusted to him by Christ? The Roman Catholic Church accepts the supremacy of the papal office. The Roman Catholic pope, it appears, has no qualms about expressing such self-affirmations.

This, however, is not what Peter does in the Bible. One has to question why the current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church does not follow Peter’s guidance, as they profess to do. Despite this, Peter does not assert his own superiority. In fact, he declares himself to be a fellow elder and a witness to Christ’s sufferings.

Peter was not the Pope of Rome because he never visited the city. Peter was neither the Pope of any other city nor the Pope of the church at the time because the Christian church at the time had no Popes by any name. Until the fourth century, the Roman Catholic church did not have a Pope who was in charge of the entire Catholic church.

Irenaeus was a Greek bishop known for managing and establishing Christian communities in modern-day France’s southern regions, as well as for advancing Christian theology by battling heresy and defining orthodoxy more broadly. He had seen and heard the preaching of Polycarp, who was supposed to have heard John the Evangelist and therefore was the last-known live connection with the Apostles, having come from Smyrna.

Irenaeus’ list of the first ten bishops of Rome, published in 200 AD, is the oldest extant list of Bishops of Rome. This list does not include Peter. Linus is listed as the first bishop of Rome on this list but, the Roman Catholics have him second on their list. So you can do the research and find out why these two lists are different.

When Constantine became Emporer of Rome in late 300 AD, he created the position of pope. He became the head of the church after endorsing Christianity. So you can say, he was the first pope. Also in historical sources, there is no conclusive evidence that Peter ever visited Rome. His labor was among the Jews, and if he had founded the church in Rome, Paul would almost certainly have mentioned it in his writings.

This topic can be controversial but, when we go to the Bible and read it, God will reveal the truth to us every time.

God Bless

The Best Way To Read Your Bible

Posted on March 4, 2022March 11, 2022 by admin

“Read the Bible – all of the Way Through – This Year!“

A new Bible reading program has been introduced that takes a different approach to the Bible than most people are accustomed to. It gives the reader the option to read the Bible from beginning to end – in chronological order – in just a year! For those who have never done so before, which is the vast majority of individuals, it provides an opportunity to stand out among their peers while also fulfilling their profound desire to please the God they adore.

It is common knowledge that:

1 – Only about 10% of Christians have ever read the Bible from beginning to end. Many people have never considered doing it because they believe it is beyond their reach.

2 – Many parts of the Bible are difficult for most Christians to comprehend. Although the average layperson is familiar with and understands a few important Bible texts, large swaths of the Bible remain opaque.

3 – Because living in the twenty-first century is so fast-paced, many Christians have abandoned meaningful devotional moments with God.

“Through the Bible… as It Happened” is the title of the new program. Because of the way the application works and the features that are provided, everyone who utilizes it will get a far greater comprehension of Scripture.

In a nutshell, it is a chronological reading of the Bible with detailed notes. The term “chronological” means “in order.” The Bible, in its most common form, employs a “theme” approach to its content. The authors of the Scriptures were fascinated by their own circumstances and occurrences. As a result, they organized their work into what we refer to as “book” formats, with subject matter serving as their guide.

The Old Testament has 39 books and the New Testament has 27. They span 4,500 years and aren’t neatly arranged in the sequence in which the events occurred. Everything, in fact, jumps back and forth. This makes it difficult for the reader to understand most of what happens, and the relationship between events is generally lost.

David Shreve, the program’s creator, has reorganized the Bible’s material such that it flows easily and in sequence. In the order in which they occurred, each event follows the previous one. The majority of novels are written in this manner. Starting with the opening scenes and progressing through a series of events to a finish!

So, one of the most appealing aspects of this program is how it operates – that is its base.

There are, however, various chronological approaches to the Bible. Some are simple general reorganizations that don’t take up more than a sheet of paper. Some are whole hardcover volumes that re-arrange the Scripture text within the volume. What distinguishes this program from the rest?

1 – The re-arrangement itself. The author began this effort in 1974, long before any such materials existed. Through the years, as he read through the Bible each year himself using this program, he researched and compared – and revised – and revised – continually, until he released his program to the general public in 2018. There is probably not another chronological program this thorough in its development. Getting the order of events exactly right was a priority for him and a painstaking effort – and the results prove the value of that effort.

2 – The study helps which are included. It is hard to find a chronological reading program that explains some of the more difficult-to-understand portions of the Bible. Most simply attempt a re-arrangement of the Scriptures and let it go at that. That’s not enough for most laymen. They need some good, solid explanations of the material they are reading.

Find more info by clicking on the banner below

Mr. Shreve holds a Bible degree with a minor in Greek. From his days at Cedarville University until the present, he has dedicated his life to studying the Bible. Hundreds of volumes in theology and Bible-related materials make up his library. His political and religious views are both mainstream and evangelical. When he deviates from orthodoxy, he makes it clear to the reader that he is expressing a marginal point of view. There is no need for the reader to be concerned.

The notes are also substantial. There isn’t much left out of the project, which is almost 1,200 pages long. He approaches certain Biblical material from a theological standpoint and others from a devotional standpoint. He satisfies both the mind and the heart!

“Using his material would be beneficial to the reader”

The Apostle Paul’s Life

Posted on February 2, 2022March 4, 2022 by admin

“The most significant teacher in the history of Christianity has been St. Paul (died c. 66 A.D.), the first systematic theologian and writer of the Christian Church. He was the apostle to the Gentiles in the Christian Church.”

Paul was born in Tarsus, Cilicia (modern-day southeastern Turkey) to Jewish parents from the family of Benjamin. His original name was Saul or Sh’aul. His father and mother were both Romans. It’s safe to believe that Paul’s first language was Koine Greek, which was the common tongue of all educated Roman citizens across the empire. Paul was brought to Jerusalem for Bible study when he was a young boy.

He learned to write in Greek and Hebrew and became well-versed in the law while studying with a great rabbi, Gamaliel. It appears that Paul studied in Jerusalem for three years during Jesus’ public ministry and was present when Jesus was killed by the Romans. He could have even seen and heard Jesus preach. He had to have heard about Jesus and his popularity among the people.

The Times of Paul

Paul lived during the Second Jewish Commonwealth’s latter years. When he was a young man studying rabbinic theology, Palestine was already completely ruled by the Romans. The Jewish people had lost their true national sovereignty. Israel’s historic borders, as defined by the preceding Hasmonaean and Salamonic kingdoms, have been drastically reduced. Rome liked to divide its enslaved peoples into manageable regions to administer them.

Following King Agrippa, I’s death, the peace and relative stability that had prevailed during his reign were drastically disrupted. The Pharisees, the ruling Jewish class, developed a new sense of nationalism and insurrection against the foreign invader. The younger generation of Pharisees molded the people’s spirit in such a way that the Jewish uprising of 66 A.D. and the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. became unavoidable across Palestine.

Paul’s early schooling provided him with a good understanding of both oral and written Jewish law. He also learned how to interpret and remark on scripture in the traditional rabbinic way. Paul was thus heir to Pharisaism’s lengthy, rich, and diversified legacy, which climaxed in the Second Temple’s final days.

Paul had apparently earned a good reputation as a young rabbinic student since he was given permission by Jewish authorities to hunt out and prosecute members of a new sect that claimed Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah and that the Kingdom of God was near. Paul apparently made several trips throughout Palestine in search of Christians. Paul was fully transformed during one such journey from Jerusalem to Damascus about the year 34 A.D.

The Conversion of Paul

There are four accounts of Paul’s conversion (Acts 9:3-19; 22:6-21; 26:12-18; and Galatians 1:12-16). According to the core spirit of these sources, Paul had a supernatural experience that caused him to think that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel and that God had sent Paul to proclaim Jesus’ message to all people. According to the account, he was blinded and had to fast for three days before being baptized after a Christian named Ananais lay hands on him and restored his sight. This incident has usually ascribed a date between 34 and 36 A.D.

Paul spent the next three years of his life among the Christians in Damascus. When he returned to Jerusalem, Peter and the other Christians welcomed him. Paul then returned to Tarsus, his hometown, and spent the next six years preaching in Syria and Cilicia. He and Barnabas were commissioned by the Christian authority to journey to the surrounding nations and spread the Christian word after spending the last year at Antioch.

Missionary Trips

Paul traveled across the eastern Mediterranean region three times over the next 15 years. The Pax Romana protected that region of the world at the time Paul set out on his journeys. Traveling and conversing were not a problem for Paul. A network of well-guarded and well-preserved roadways, serviced by Roman garrisons, connected fortified and prosperous towns throughout the eastern Mediterranean.

Koine Greek was a common language spoken throughout the eastern Mediterranean and utilized for all communications. Mail correspondence was a common and everyday mode of communication. Furthermore, trade and passenger maritime channels were opened between Palestine, Turkey, Greece, Italy, North Africa, and the principal Greek islands.

Jews lived in scattered but well-organized communities throughout the eastern Mediterranean, in all of the major cities. A constant connection was maintained between these Jewish communities and the central authority in Jerusalem. The establishment of the Jewish calendar, the control of the Jewish year, the offering of sacrifices in the Temple, and the general authentication of doctrines, scrolls, and instructors were all delegated to the Palestinian authority by the Jewish communities residing outside of Palestine.

Paul went around these Jewish communities as a Jew until the end of his life. The later conflict between Paul and the Jews, as well as between Christianity and Judaism, has disguised this reality. Paul was only expelled from Jewish communities’ synagogues near the end of his life. Only in the last 20 years of the first century were Christians denied access to synagogues.

Paul’s first journey, which began around 45 A.D. and ended around 45 A.D., led him via Cyprus and southeastern Turkey before returning to Antioch by the same route. Paul’s second excursion took him overland through Turkey and then to mainland Greece, where he passed through Athens before returning to Palestine through Rhodes the same year. Around 52 A.D., he landed on the coast of Palestine at Tyre. Paul penned his two Letters to the Thessalonians during this second tour.

Paul’s third journey began in Antioch, continued through Turkey, stopping at Ephesus and Chios, and then continued via Macedonia to mainland Greece. From Turkey’s southwest coast to the Palestinian port of Tyre, he came home by the sea. Paul wrote his Letter to the Galatians, two Letters to the Corinthians, and his Letter to the Romans during this third tour.

Paul penned a number of letters between the start of his missionary missions and his death, which subsequently became part of the Christian New Testament. He wrote a total of 13 letters before his death. The Letter to the Hebrews, historically attributed to Paul, is now widely believed to have been written by one of his disciples.

Paul’s teaching was based on three basic ideas: Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah promised by Israel’s prophets; his death atoned for all men’s sins and opened heaven for humanity, and the Mosaic Law had been abolished and replaced by the Law of Jesus as a result of Jesus’ salvation. As a result, there was no longer any difference between Jew and Gentile. Paul regularly employed Bible texts to support his arguments, interpreting them using the rabbinic exegesis method he had learned in Jerusalem.

Attitudes regarding the Jewish people and the Law

Paul’s writings are notable for two aspects: the Jewish law and the Jewish people as God’s chosen nation. On both counts, his attitude needs to be explained. Paul felt that the law had been abrogated, not just altered and ennobled, since Christ’s arrival. Later anti-Semitism was fueled by Paul’s words and notions when he described Jewish law, both oral and written, as purely a legal exercise.

In Paul’s writings, there is no evidence of this pessimism. There is a notion that all of the law’s grandeur and all of the law’s salvation promises have been transferred to the new law of Jesus. Paul divided world history into two periods: before Jesus’ arrival, when the law was God’s visible means of guiding men to redemption, and after Jesus’ death when trust in and love for Jesus was the exclusive means of salvation.

Paul most likely abolished the need to follow the law in his later years. It’s important to recall that the Council of Jerusalem (ca. 49 A.D.) freed all Jewish converts to Christianity from any responsibility to follow Jewish law. As Paul’s teachings progressed, he encountered increasingly vehement hostility from the Jewish authorities. This opposition undoubtedly deepened Paul’s conviction that the Jewish law merely served to blind Jews and potentially Gentiles to the reality of Jesus.

However, Paul’s attitude toward the Jews as the chosen people remained a source of persistent doubt in his mind. Paul declared in his Letter to the Romans that the Jews were and would continue to be God’s chosen people. He asserted this, remarking that God’s decrees are unchangeable.

As a Christian believer, on the other hand, he claimed that Christians occupy a particular place in God’s favor because they had become the carriers of Jesus’ salvation, which had become prominent in God’s plan for man.

To get around this problem, Paul used the ruse of claiming that the Jews were still the chosen people, but that their eyes had been covered by a veil of ignorance. Only on the final day, when the world came to an end and Jesus returned to judge all men, he declared, would the veil be lifted.

Methods of Instruction

Throughout his missionary missions, Paul’s teaching methods remained consistent. In every town he visited, he went to the local synagogue or Jewish community meeting place and preached to the Jews first. He then preached to the Gentiles in the area.

However, as Paul’s name became more well-known and his preaching became more widespread, he faced increasing opposition from Jewish communities. His preaching began to focus more and more on the Gentiles. Paul faced great physical and social hardships from both Jews and Gentiles, including being lashed, stoned, imprisoned, treated with indignity, and expelled multiple times.

He formed an acerbic critique of his former coreligionists from the start of his apostolate, claiming that by keeping Moses’ law and refusing to trust in Jesus, they were rejecting their destiny as God’s chosen people.

As a result, opposition to Paul grew in Jewish communities outside of Palestine, and word reached Jerusalem that Paul posed a threat to Judaism in the Diaspora.

The Last Journey

Paul recommended a trip to Rome and Spain when he returned to Jerusalem following his third missionary expedition. During his stay, he was identified by a group of Asian Jews, who quickly labeled him a rogue and a nuisance in the Jewish community.

The Roman civic authority intervened and saved Paul in the ensuing riot. Paul was detained for causing the commotion. He was saved from assassination as a Roman citizen and then taken to Caesarea, the Roman coastal capital, where he was judged by the Roman procurator, Felix.

Paul utilized his right as a Roman citizen to be moved to Rome for trial by Caesar to avoid being sent back to Jerusalem for prosecution, where he would have faced certain death. In the spring of 60 A.D., he arrived in Rome following a maritime expedition. He wrote his Letters to the Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon, Timothy, and Titus during his captivity in Rome.

His future life is little known, except that he may have visited Spain before his death. According to all accounts, he was martyred in Rome sometime between 66 and 67 A.D.

Do You Know Who The 12 Disciples Were?

Posted on November 9, 2018November 24, 2018 by admin

Can You Name The 12 Disciples Of Jesus Christ?

I know for sure, that we all try to remember the names of all 12 disciples of Jesus but, after getting through Peter, James, and John many of us can’t recall the rest and we are just left with guessing who the rest were.

While some apostles are featured prominently throughout the New Testament, others are merely mentioned in passing. Although these men lived and ministered with Jesus we often have a difficult time remembering much about them.

While the following outlines won’t give you a complete view of each of these men, they will help you understand more about these men and keep track of who wanted to sit at the right hand of Jesus, who was present at the transfiguration, and who thought it would be wise to start cutting off ears when Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane.

Simon (Peter)

As recorded in (John 1:42), Simon was given the name Cephas by Jesus, which is the Aramaic equivalent of Peter. The son of Jonah, or Jonas (Matthew 16:17); Bar means ‘son of’) he was from the city of Bethsaida (John 1:44). He worked as a fisherman with his brother Andrew (Matthew 4:18). (Mark 1:21-31) tells us that Jesus came to his home and miraculously healed Peter’s mother-in-law, so we know that this apostle either had a wife or had at least been married previously.

Peter is considered the leader of Christ’s apostles, and as such there is a wealth of information regarding his life and ministry recorded in the New Testament. Below are some of Peter’s highlights as recorded in Scripture.

(Matthew 14:22-33) – Here we see Peter step out in faith to step out of the boat and walk on water towards Jesus. However, when he took his eyes off of the Lord, and noticed the wind and waves, he began to sink. Jesus caught him with His hand and said to Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

(Matthew 16:13-20) – When Jesus asked the apostles who people thought He was, they replied that some thought He was John the Baptist, some thought he was Elijah, and still others believed Him to be one of the prophets. When the Lord asked Peter directly who he thought He was, Peter boldly and truthfully proclaimed that “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Keep in mind that Christ is not a name, but a title identifying Jesus as the Messiah. Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah is profound.

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

(Luke 22:31-34) – While the previous passage is certainly a high point of Peter’s faith, this section of Luke shows Jesus telling Peter of an upcoming low point. Jesus tells Peter that Satan has desired to “sift [Peter] as wheat,” to which Peter states “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” However, Christ informs Peter that he will deny the Him three times before the rooster crows.

(John 18:10-15) – We see some of Peter’s characteristic rashness in the garden of Gethsemane after Jesus is arrested. It is Peter who deems it best to take up his sword and cut off the ear of one of the high priest’s servants. This earned him a rebuke from Jesus, who did not resist His captors, but willingly went to the cross.

(Mark 14:66-72) – This passage, and a parallel in (Luke 22:54-61), records a terrible lapse in Peter’s faith. Here we see Jesus’ words come to fruition that Peter would deny Him three times. Not only did the apostle deny following Jesus as a disciple, he denied even knowing Him at all. Once this had occurred, and Peter heard the crow of the rooster, he recalled Jesus’ words and wept.

(John 21:15-19) – After having witnessed the empty tomb, Peter returned to fishing. It was while doing so that he encountered the resurrected Christ. As Peter previously had denied Jesus three times, the Lord asks Peter three times, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” This incident is often referred to as the restoration of Peter.

From here Peter would return as the leader of the apostles and of the early church. Many of the apostle’s sermons are recorded for us in the book of Acts, in passages such as (Acts 2:14-47) and (Acts 3:11-26). Acts also records for us Peter’s extensive ministry, his brief arrests (Acts 4:1-22; 12:1-19), and miraculous healings (Acts 3:1-10).

John Foxe records that Peter met his death by crucifixion at the hands of the Roman Emperor Nero. It is reported that he asked to be, and was, crucified upside down as he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

The Apostle Peter was a man of great range and passion, and his life exhibits both failures and successes throughout the New Testament narrative. This apostle is the author of the New Testament books 1 and 2 Peter.

James The Son Of Zebedee

This apostle has the honor of being among Jesus’ “inner circle” of apostles, along with his brother John and the apostle Peter. He also has the dubious distinction of being the first apostle to suffer martyrdom and the only one whose death is recorded in Scripture. A son of Zebedee and Salome, he and his brother John were fisherman with their father on the Sea of Galilee. Since James is always mentioned first, he is likely the older of the two brothers.

Business partners with Simon (Luke 5:10), (Mark 1:19-20) gives an account of the calling of James and John just after Jesus’ offer to make Simon and Andrew “fishers of men.”

“And going on a little farther, he saw James The Son Of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.”

Jesus gave James and John the nicknames “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17), possibly in recognition of their temperament. For example, after receiving a less than warm welcome in a Samaritan village, they asked “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” (Luke 9:51-56).

James was with John and Peter at the Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9) and witnessed the healing of Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:40-56). James and his brother had asked Jesus if He would “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” This exchange earned them a gentle rebuke from the Lord and some indignation from the other apostles (Mark 10:35-45).

(Acts 12:2) tells us that he was King Herod “killed James the brother of John with the sword.” This is the only New Testament record of the death of an apostle. For all of the others we must rely solely on the traditions of the early church for sometimes differing accounts.

John, Brother Of James

No, not John the Baptist. The man who would become perhaps the second most prominent apostle lived with his brother and father as a fisherman. When Jesus came and called the two brothers to follow Him full time they immediately left their father and their livelihood behind (Matthew 4:18-22).

Also a member of the inner circle, John was present at the Transfiguration of Jesus (17:1-12). (Luke 22:8) tells us that it was John and Peter who were sent by Jesus to make preparations for the Passover meal and (John 13:23) reveals the close relationship that this apostle had with the Lord, as it was he who leaned upon Jesus’ chest during the meal.

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, he confided in His inner circle that His “soul [was] exceedingly sorrowful, even to death” and asked that they watch and pray (Matthew 26:36-46). When all of the other apostles fled after Christ’s arrest it was John, the “disciple whom He loved” who was to be found at the foot of the cross during the crucifixion. Here Jesus would place His earthly mother to John’s care (John 19:25-27).

Upon hearing of Christ’s resurrection, it was The Apostle John who outran The Apostle Peter to see the empty tomb (20:1-10). Called one of the “pillars of the church” in the Book of Galatians, the apostle John contributed several writings to the New Testament: the Gospel which bears his name, three epistles, and the book of Revelation.

He was exiled to the island of Patmos during the rule of Domitian. After Domitian’s death, John returned to Ephesus and would die at approximately 100 years old.

Andrew

Andrew was a fisherman with his brother Simon (The Apostle Peter) on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 1:16). The two worked in partnership with James and John (Luke 5:10), who would also become apostles.

Andrew had initially become a disciple of John the Baptist. He would begin to follow Jesus after John declared Him to be the “Lamb of God” (John 1:35, 40) making him one of the first named followers of Christ. (John 1:41-42) tells us that after coming to the Lord he immediately went to find his brother Simon, bringing him to see the Messiah. After returning to his work as a fisherman when Jesus went to Galilee, he was formally called along with Simon (Peter), James, and John to become “fishers of men” in (Matthew 4:18-22).

Tradition holds that Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross under the Governor Ageas of the Edessenes. He is recorded as having said:

“Oh cross, most welcome and longed for! With a willing mind, joyfully and desirously, I come to you, being the scholar of Him which did hang on you, because I have always been your lover and yearn to embrace you.”

It is told be theologians that he preached the Gospel to his killers during the two days that it took him to die.

Philip

Philip was from Bethsaida (John 12:21), as were the apostles Andrew and (Peter 1:44). The nature of his name suggests that he was a Hellenistic Jew, with Philip being a common Greek name. Early church tradition maintains that it was Philip who asked permission to first bury his father before following Christ in (Matthew 8:21).

Eusebius records that Philip ministered in Asia and was buried at Hierapolis with his daughters. Although tradition differs as to the manner of his death, many accounts report that he was stoned and crucified.

Bartholomew (Nathanael)

While the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, and Luke make no mention of Nathanael, the Gospel of John does not mention an apostle named Bartholomew. However, since we know that there are twelve disciples, it is likely that these two names indicate the same individual.

From Cana of Galilee (John 1:45), it was this disciple that cynically asked “Can anything good come from Nazareth” (1:46) after being told about Jesus by Philip. However, after Christ ensured Nathaniel that He had seen him “when [he was] under the fig tree” (1:48), Bartholomew proclaimed Him to be the Son of God and King of Israel.

Tradition holds that he preached in India and translated the book of Matthew into their language. Although traditions vary, it appears that he was beaten, crucified, and beheaded in Sebastopolis, Ethiopia in AD 80. Another early church tradition maintains that he was flayed to death by a whip.

Matthew

“[Jesus] saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And He rose and followed him” (Matthew 9:9). It is important to note that when this incident is repeated in Luke’s account this apostle is given the name Levi (Luke 5:27).

As a tax collector, Matthew would have been deeply mistrusted and despised by his fellow Jews. This low status is alluded to in (Matthew 21:28-32) where Jesus places tax collectors in the same class as harlots. Despite this fact, Jesus chose him to be one of his closest followers. When the Pharisees looked down upon Jesus’ association with “tax collectors and sinners,” Christ replied that He did “not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:27-32).

Matthew wrote the gospel that bears his name, although the date of this writing is sometimes debated among scholars. A range is typically given between A.D. 50 and A.D. 70 for Matthew to have recorded his gospel. The apostle is said to have been killed by a spear at the direction of a king named Hircanus, after having ministered to Ethiopia and Egypt. Other accounts of his death claim that he died from a sword wound.

Thomas

Also called Didymus, which is Greek for twin (John 21:2), this apostle is often referred to as ‘Doubting Thomas,’ as it was he who demanded evidence for the other apostles’ claim that Christ had risen from the dead (20:25).

It would be rather uncharitable to remember him solely for this incident, however, as he also demonstrated faith and courage. For example, it was Thomas that was prepared to die with Christ when the apostles were convinced that Jesus would be killed at the hands of the Jews (11:16).

The tradition surrounding Thomas’ later life indicates that he ministered to India. While some believe that he was killed in Calamina, India by a spear during a missionary trip to establish the church there, Clement of Alexandria records that Thomas died a natural death and was not killed as a martyr.

James, son of Alphaeus

Also known as “James the Less,” which distinguishes him from James the son of Zebedee, this apostle is mentioned in each Gospel’s list of the 12 apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). It is also important to distinguish him from James, the brother of Jesus, and the author of the book of James.

Aside from being recorded in the Gospels as one of Christ’s apostles, there is little mention of this James. Outside of Scripture, it is held that he was buried in Jerusalem after being stoned by the Jews for preaching about Jesus.

Thaddaeus

Thaddaeus may have also been known as Judas, son of James (Luke 6:16) and Lebbaeus (Matthew 10:3). There is very little in the New Testament about this apostle. Tradition holds that Thaddaeus was martyred in Beirut by an axe.

Simon the Zealot

Also known as Simon the Cananaean, this apostle was a Zealot, a political group which did not shy away from using violence in pursuit of its goals (Acts 1:13). Strongly opposed to Roman rule over Israel, this movement was known to not pay taxes and to murder foreign leaders and soldiers, among other things.

Aside from being mentioned in the Gospel accounts as an apostle of Christ, there is next to nothing to be found in the New Testament regarding Simon. As with other extra-Biblical traditions, there are conflicting accounts of how Simon died. However, many sources claim that he was crucified.

Judas Iscariot

Throughout Scripture, Judas Iscariot’s name is accompanied by a clear reference to his eventual betrayal of Jesus into the hands of His enemies (Matthew 10:4). Aside from this pivotal and terrible role in the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, the New Testament offers a few other glimpses of who Judas was.

For example, it is revealed that he was a thief; his objection to Jesus’ feet being anointed with expensive oil was an indication of his desire to have instead sold it and kept the money for himself (John 12:4-6).

In (Matthew 26:14-16) we read of Judas’ agreement with the chief priests to betray Christ for thirty pieces of silver, after Satan entered into him (Luke 22:3). This eventuality was not unknown to Christ, as He clearly had knowledge that one of the 12 apostles was “a devil” (John 6:70).

In addition to arranging to hand Jesus over to His enemies, it was Judas who personally led the soldiers (18:3-5) and identified Christ in the garden with a kiss (Matthew 26:47-49).

After Jesus was condemned to death, Judas was overwhelmed by his remorse. He tried unsuccessfully to return to the chief priests the money he was paid by them (27:3-8). Matthew tells us that Judas hung himself, while (Acts 1:16-19) describes that this resulted in a fall and caused gruesome harm to his body.

Matthias

In Acts 1:20 -26 we read that Matthias was chosen to replace Judas. His name was put forth for this appointment by roughly 120 believers at the instigation of Peter (1:15). Maintaining a group of 12 apostles was important, as Christ taught that these men were to sit upon 12 thrones in Heaven, each judging a tribe of Israel (Matthew 19:28).

In the surrounding verses we read that he had been among the apostles “all the time that the Lord Jesus was among [them]” (Acts 1:21-22). With a choice between Matthias and “Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus,” lots were cast in order to select Matthias the twelfth apostle.

After his appointment, he is never again mentioned in Scripture. Some traditions record him being martyred by being stoned and then beheaded, possibly in Judea.

These are the 12 men that Jesus chose to follow Him and preach the Good News. We know these men weren’t perfect, as ourselves aren’t perfect either but, God doesn’t ask for perfection. He wants a commitment from us to be willing to give our lives to Him. We must work everyday to be better for Christ, doesn’t He deserve that from us. Who else gave their life for you and me, nobody because, nobody loves us like Jesus does. Let’s take the Good News to anyone that is willing to listen, they might not think they need it but, the important thing is that we all need it.

God Bless,

How Should A Christian Woman Dress According To The Bible?

Posted on November 2, 2018November 2, 2018 by admin

So does anybody actually know exactly what is Christian modesty and how should a Christian woman dress?

First, I believe this question does not apply just for women but, also to men, within the Christian church this topic has been applied to woman for the most part. I believe the reason for this, is probably that we have a thing in society, that only women dress to provocative or inappropriate. But, in this time together, we will address what the Bible actually says regarding a woman’s modesty and clothing choices because there has been so much false information given about this specific topic.

The Bible Does Not Say It Is a Sin for a Woman to Look Externally Beautiful or to Wear Nice Clothes

Christian modesty is an external appearance that is honoring to Christ. In an attempt to discourage provocative clothing, sometimes the church makes it seem like a sin for women to pay attention to their external appearance at all, which is not at the heart of Christian modesty. The Bible does not say that frumpiness equals holiness.

Here’s what the Bible specifically says about women’s clothing in the New Testament:

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.”

(1 Timothy 2:8-10)
“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” (1 Peter 3:3-4)

Like with any Bible verse, by taking these verses out of context, it could be misunderstood that the Bible forbids braided hair, jewelry, or costly clothing. While the Bible is not condoning these purchases and appearance choices either, it is too simple to say that the Bible condemns them too. The key to understanding these Bible verses about a woman’s external appearance is the word “adorning.”

Common definitions for the word “adorn” include “to enhance the appearance of especially with beautiful objects” and “make more beautiful or attractive.” The point the Bible makes clear is that a woman should not try to make herself more beautiful through external means.

If you wear clothing to make yourself seem more physically attractive or more physically beautiful, this is what the Bible says a woman should not do. It doesn’t say a woman should not braid her hair, never wear jewelry, and never where nice clothes. It does say, however, that her beauty must not be rooted in these external means.

The Bible Says a Woman Should Seek to Look Beautiful Through Her Inner Character

The point that I believe many people get wrong is when they say that Christian women should never be concerned with how they look, they should not care about feeling beautiful, and they are being vain if they go out of their way to enhance their physical appearance at all.

The Bible doesn’t say that. Again, the Bible does not forbid “adorning” one’s self, which is to say the Bible does not forbid a woman beautifying herself. In fact, (1 Timothy 2:8-10) and (1 Peter 3:3-4) are actually passages in Scripture about how a woman should adorn herself. These Bible passages are not telling woman to not seek beauty; rather, the Bible instructs a woman on how to go about beautifying herself:

. . . likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.”

“ . . . let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

The Bible Says a Woman’s Clothing Is an Expression of Her Inner Self

So how should a woman dress? Can she braid her hair and wear jewelry if she wants to? Yes. The motive is the main qualifier for what she wears. Now of course there is a line that should not be crossed regardless of what your motive is. Too much skin is too much skin, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman. With that said I also don’t think Christians should have legalistic dress codes.

So what is too much skin showing? I don’t know, but most people know it when they see it. If you are asking yourself if you are showing too much, you are probably showing too much. Again, this applies to men and women.

Our clothing should be an expression of our inner character. A woman should wear clothes that make her look presentable, beautiful, respectable, and whatever other good impression she wants to express because our clothing communicates what our inner character is.

The Bible tells a Christian woman not to base her beauty in how she looks. Rather, how you look should be based in the beauty you already have. That’s the key to dressing biblically. Do not seek to shape your inner beauty through your outer beauty. Rather, your inner beauty should shape your external appearance.

When you wear beautiful, modest clothing, it says something about your heart. When you wear sexy clothing that is designed to insight passion, that too says something about the condition of your heart. The way you view yourself internally should control how you present yourself externally. If you believe you are a beautiful, Christ exalting woman, that will shape the way you present yourself to the world.

The things you wear should be a reflection of how your heart looks on the inside. Paul tells women in 1 Timothy 2:9-10 to dress with modesty and respect because through the costly gospel of Jesus that’s the type of heart a redeemed woman in Christ has – modest, respectful, godly, self-controlled, knowing you are precious to God . . . beautiful.

The Bible Does Not List a Man’s Lack of Self-Control as a Motive for Modesty

Lastly, I want to address one more common thing that I see in many church teachings about modesty. It’s been my experience that when women get told what to wear in church, the first reason they are told what to wear is that men are so visual you could be a stumbling block to them if you reveal too much of your body.

While I believe men and woman should both try to wear clothes and present themselves in ways that are not tempting to the opposite gender, I don’t believe this is the most important reason a woman should not wear sexy clothing.

When we tell woman that they must be careful what they wear because men lack self-control and they will basically instantly sin if they see too much of your body, we are presenting a false reality about men and women. First off, not all Christian men will see a sexual image and instantly sin. While men should avoid temptation whenever possible, many Christian men are filled with the Spirit enough to have self-control and to not sin.

My personal thought here is not to say that men should look at sexual images. Again, we should run from sexual temptation whenever possible. My point, however, is that it is demeaning to Christian men in general to be portrayed as these sex hounds with zero ability to see a tempting image and resist it.

Secondly, by making a man’s eyes the main motive for what women wear, I believe this sends the message that a woman is primarily a sexual temptation and her body is dangerous. I want to make it clear that a woman can be a sexual temptation if she chooses to be, but her body itself is not evil in any way. The physical beauty of a woman’s body is not sinful. It is only used sinfully when used improperly by the woman or if it is idolized by a man. The body, however, is not the problem.

The main solution to lust is not covering every woman’s body. The main solution to lust is every man and woman learning self-control and being personally responsible for their own eyes and choices.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I do believe Christian men and women should consider the opposite gender. We should try to not be a sexual temptation to one another. Our brothers and sisters in Christ’s wellbeing is a good motive for modesty. We need to be aware of how our bodies can influence other people.

Jesus said in (Luke 17:1), “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.” So yes, it is a good motive to wear clothing that is honoring to the eyes of the opposite gender.

But if you are only not wearing sinful clothing because of the effect it might have on a man, there is a bigger problem. The main reason a woman should wear beautiful clothing that is modest is because that’s the type of woman she is. Her clothing choices should be respectful primarily because she wants to honor God and she has respect for herself. When she knows God loves her and has made her beautiful through the gospel of Christ, then she will seek to express this in her external appearance as well.

(Deuteronomy 22:5) says: “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God.”

Does (Deuteronomy 22:5) forbid women from wearing pants?

No, it doesn’t. In fact, clothing “that pertains to a man” at the time the verse was written would not have been understood to mean pants. Men in the Middle East through the history of the Old and New Testaments did not ordinarily wear pants, trousers or slacks; they wore robe-like garments. And in many cultures such as in China, women have commonly worn pants. The scripture more specifically addresses and forbids transvestism and cross-dressing.

Final Thought

The Bible does not give women a dress code. It doesn’t list specific things she should and should not wear. Rather, the Bible says a Christian woman’s inner character should guide her clothing choices. When she is mature in Christ and knows she is beautiful because God made her that way, this will be reflected in her choices regarding her appearance.

God Bless,

Can I Lose My Salvation Being A Christian?

Posted on August 31, 2018October 26, 2018 by admin

Can A Christian Lose Their Salvation?

Have you ever heard or run into some christians that believe that they can never lose their salvation no matter what they do or do not do because they simply do not understand what the word of God teaches.

Eternal security once saved always saved grace alone believers claim that (1 Corinthians 3:15) is absolute proof that a we as christians can never lose our salvation but may lose our rewards.

(1 Corinthians 3:15).

“IF any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

I believe that any verse when view alone and apart from the rest of God’s word may seem to be saving or may be made to say something that it is not really saying when it is correctly interpreted in the light of the whole word of our Almighty God.

Now those who teach eternal security interpret this verse to mean that a we can never lose our salvation and they teach that no works are required to keep or maintain our salvation in order to receive eternal life in the world to come. They say the only thing we can ever lose the rewards.

Let’s take a closer look at this verse with the emphasis on the word Work.

(1 Corinthians 3:15)

“IF any anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss: though he himself will be saved; but only through fire.”

What Work is the Bible speaking of?

I thought there were no works. But clearly there is someone’s work that may or may not be burned because there is a conditional, If any man’s work would be burned then he shall suffer loss of reward but he himself shall be saved yet so by fire.

Well, common sense should tell anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear that all evil sinful works will without fail be burned so there is no if whether or not that the works of iniquity will be burned. So clearly this verse is not speaking of good works versus evil sinful works because, who in their right mind would think God would reward evil sinful works but, if those evil sinful works are burned then they lose their reward. Of course evil sinful works will burn because that is what Jesus came to destroy. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.

And it is also clear that God is not going to burn our good works. So the work here with the condition if it be burned we shall suffer loss of reward is speaking of those we bring to saving faith in Jesus. And if one of them should lose their salvation and be burned in the lake of fire we will suffer the loss of reward for that Christian who did not endure unto the end.

Why do you think Paul was plagued with care for the churches daily and always checked to see how they were doing? Why was Paul worried about laboring in vain? It was because Paul and the other apostles were concerned that some Christians would be deceived and depart from God.

Also I want you to notice that Paul adds the conditional clause “Yet so as by FIRE” in order to be saved. Now fire in the Bible speak of trials and testing, the trying of our faith to see if we will be found faithful. So this teaches us that our own works must be good works or we will not be saved.

Again, the truth of the matter is that the work here in this passage of Scripture does not refer to good works of righteousness versus evil sinful works but rather our work of bringing people to saving faith in Jesus. And if they remain faithful unto the end then we shall receive a reward. BUT if one or more of those people we bring or help bring to saving faith in Jesus are found unfaithful on the day of judgment and cast into the lake of fire to be burned then we shall lose any reward that we would have received if they were to have remained faithful unto the end to receive their eternal life in the world to come.

God understands that we cannot make people believe the true gospel of Jesus Christ that we must endure unto the end to be saved but that does not mean we should not try our best show them the true gospel of salvation. So to those of you who are reading this study in God’s word who have made up your minds that the once saved always saved doctrine is true please understand that I am not trying to make you believe what I myself believe but rather I am simply showing you why I do not believe that the OSAS eternal security doctrines are sound Biblical teaching.

Let us now read the whole context to see the true sound biblical meaning of verse 15 concerning what the work truly is according to the context.

As we read 1 Corinthians 3:1-18 where you will see that our work’s are those people we bring to saving faith IN Jesus.

(1 Corinthians 3:1-18)

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

2. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able.

3. For you are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men?

4. For while one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are you not carnal?

5. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom yo u believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

6. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (So the subject under discussion here is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ whereby people are saved. Some Christians sows seeds of God’s word while other Christians water those seeds and then it is God who makes the seed of his word grow)

7. So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase. (also under discussion is the carnal mindset of Christians boasting that they are of Paul while others boast that they are of Apollos. Today Christians boast that they are Baptist while others boast that they are Calvinist. Basically, Paul is saying that all the church denominations are not of God.)

8. Now he that plants and he that waters are ONE( meaning that we SHARE in the reward IF our WORK remains faithful unto the end and is NOT burned in the lake of fire): and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. (Paul is still talking about preaching the gospel which is sowing and watering God’s word. Paul is saying now if one Christians plants a seed of God’s word and another Christian comes along and waters that seed of God’s word then they both shall share or receive a reward for that person coming to Jesus to be saved. One christian may receive a little more reward depending on how much work they put into bring the person to saving faith compared to the other christian efforts of witnessing to that person who accepts Jesus as their savior but for sure both shall receive a reward IF that work remains faithful unto the end.)

9. For we are laborers together with God (or we are workers together with God building his church): you are God’s husbandry, you are God’s building.

10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon. But let every man take heed HOW he BUILDS thereupon. (because IF your WORK does NOT remain faithful you will lose your reward. And you MAY be held accountable for their soul being lost. Please see Ezekiel 3:18-21. Building the kingdom of God is WORK. Bring people to Jesus is the WORK of every Christians ministry. We may not all be called to a full time ministry but we are all called to be a LIGHT unto the world. YOU may be the only Bible some people ever read. So do they SEE Jesus is you?)

11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if any man BUILD upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (In other words, there are basically TWO WAYS a Christian can BUILD the kingdom of God. We can BUILD strong well rooted and grounded Christians who will endure unto the end and never depart from God and these Christians are likened to gold silver and precious stones which do NOT BURN in the fire but are refined by the fire. OR we can NOT TAKE HEED as to HOW we BUILD and produce Christians that will live in sin because they are not rooted and grounded in the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ and these Christians are likened to be or become wood, stubble, or hay which BURN in the lake of fire on the day of judgment.)

13. Every man’s WORK shall be made manifest: (you shall know a tree by its FRUIT) for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; (or TESTING and trying of their faith) and the fire shall try every man’s WORK of what sort it is. (Or every Christian who is some other Christian’s WORK will be TRIED or tested to see what fruit they will bear. Please see the parable of the sower sowing the seed of God’s word how some Christians only endure for a short time and ONLY the GOOD SOIL produced Christians who bear GOOD FRUIT. See Matthew 3:3-23.)

14. If any man’s WORK abide (or REMAIN and endure unto the END) which he has BUILT thereupon (the foundation of Jesus Christ adding to God’s BUILDING), he shall receive a reward. (BECAUSE those Christians who are the WORK of other Christians will REMAIN faithful unto the end to be saved or to receive eternal life in the world to come and the second death has no power over them to be burned in the lake of fire, BUT)

15. IF any man’s WORK shall be burned (Or if any person we bring to Jesus falls away from the faith and they are destroyed by being burned in the lake of fire), he shall suffer loss (or he shall suffer the loss of the reward he would have received IF that person would have endured unto the end to receive eternal life in the world to come): but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (meaning that EVERY Christian’s faith is TRIED or TESTED to see IF they themselves remain faithful unto the end to receive eternal life in the world to come.)

16. Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

17. IF ANY MAN defiles the temple of God, him shall God DESTROY; for the temple of God is holy, which temple YOU are.

18. Let no man DECEIVE HIMSELF. If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.”

Now if so be that no true born-again Christian can ever lose their salvation then why does the Apostle Paul warns us not to defile the temple of God which temple we are and then tell us to not deceived ourselves? Any Christians who thinks they are above being deceived are deceived already. Only true born-again Christians can receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be the temple of God so it is very clear that the Apostle Paul is speaking to true born-again Christians warning us that if any true born-again christian defiles himself then God will destroy him on the day of judgment.

The truth of the matter is that 1 Corinthians 3:15 does not prove that a Christian can never lose their salvation and they can only lose their reward. Any one truly seeking the truth of the whole word of God can clearly see that the work in verse 15 is the same work throughout the whole context which is the “who” or the “person” that is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ by another christian or christians work of the ministry of reconciliation who will receive a reward for adding them to God’s building the church if they remain faithful unto the end and are not burned on the day of judgment in the lake of fire.

Our work is the people whom we bring to saving faith in Jesus Christ. And if they endure unto the end we shall receive a reward for our work of helping to reconciling them to God through the gospel we share with them. But if the lose their salvation by not enduring unto the end to be saved then we shall suffer the loss of the reward we would have received if they were to be found that good and faithful servant on the day of judgment.

In other words, we do not lose our salvation if the people we bring to saving faith become deceived and fall away from the faith and they are burned in the lake of fire on the day of judgment but we will lose our reward which we would have received IF the would have remained faithful unto the end to receive their eternal life in the world to come.

Now, if it is true that no true born-again Christian can every lose their salvation then Paul would not have use the if our work burn we shall suffer loss. Can you not see my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, that if Paul is teaching us that no Christians can ever lose their salvation then not one single person we help BUILD on the foundation of Jesus Christ to become a part of God’s building will not ever be able to be burned. So it makes no sense whatsoever for Paul to warn us that if our work would be burned then we shall suffer the loss of the reward we would have received if our work would remain and not be burned.

The Bible warns us that there will be some in the last days who will not endure sound doctrine and will heap to themselves teachers that will tickle their ear with words that they like to hear.

(2 Timothy 4:1-8) reads:

“I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; (the word CHARGE here mean hortatively, to earnestly exhort, to implore and to strongly urge you before God to know and understand the both the living and the dead will be JUDGED AT his appearing. Now we also know that ONLY the dead IN Jesus Christ will be judged AT his appearing according to Revelation 20:4-6. So then the LIVING here is also speaking of those of us IN Jesus Christ. So we best know and understand what it MEANS to be IN Jesus Christ and having the promise of eternal life ABIDING IN us AT his appearing)

2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (why the need to reprove and rebuke if so be no true born-again Christian can ever lose their salvation?)

3. For (or BECAUSE) the time will come when they will NOT ENDURE SOUND doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4. And they shall TURN AWAY their ears from the TRUTH, and shall be turned unto FABLES.

5. But WATCH YOU in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of your ministry.

6. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7. I have FOUGHT a GOOD FIGHT, I have finished my course, I have KEPT the faith:

8. HENCEFORTH (or for this very reason of my fighting a good FIGHT of faith to endure unto the END to KEEP my FAITH) there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,(speaking of our crown of eternal life for be found that GOD and FAITHFUL servant unto the END) which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto ALL them also that love his appearing.”

Well, clearly that time has come where some Christians are not endure sound biblical doctrine that they must endure unto the end in order to receive eternal life in the world to come.

We read in (1 John 3:1-15):

“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not. (the world does not know or understand Christians who return GOOD when evil is done to them)

2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (one of the joys set before us is to know and understand that we will receive eternal life like Jesus to rule and reign with him in the world to come)

1Jn 3:3 And EVERY man that has this HOPE in him (the HOPE of eternal life) PURIFIES himself, EVEN AS HE is PURE. (the only way for us to be as PURE as Jesus is to confess our sins and believe in God’s faithfulness to his word that he will forgive us of all our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness each and every time we sin. And in those times we do not sin his blood continual keeps us cleansed. But IF we sin then our garments are stained with sin so we must CONFESS our sins and ask God to forgive us so that we will be PURE even as Jesus is PURE and not be ashamed at his coming)

4. Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: (NOT the law contained in ORDINANCES which we are NOT UNDER but rather the MORAL law of God) for sin is the transgression of the law. (breaking any MORAL law is SIN so we need to repent quickly and CONFESS our sin to keep ourselves PURE even as Jesus is PURE)

5. And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and IN him is no sin. (so we are IN Jesus HAVING the promise of eternal life ABIDING IN us so long as we are KEEPING ourselves PURE even as Jesus is PURE)

6. Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen him, neither known him. (This teaches us that those who claim they are born-again Christians but they continue to LIVE in sin having NO change in their desire to live in sin then they do NOT truly know Jesus.)

7. Little children, let NO man DECEIVE you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. (John is repeating what he said at the beginning of his letter in 1 John 1:6,7 where if we walk in the light even as Jesus then his blood CONTINUALLY keeps us CLEANSED from all our sin so that we remain perfect and pure even as Jesus is perfect and pure.)

8. He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (Paul teaches us in Romans that we are FREED from sin and that sin shall NOT have any more dominion over us which mean that we no longer are in bondage to be servant of sin. We do NOT have to OBEY the lust of the flesh any longer because GREATER is he who dwells IN us than he who is in the world speaking of the devil who tempts us to sin.)

9. Whosoever is born of God does NOT commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (God’s word is his seed planted in us. And Jesus said that IF we CONTINUE or remain in his word then we will know the TRUTH and the TRUTH will make us FREE. And if you read the CONTEXT you will see that Jesus is speaking of being free from SIN. See John 8:30-51.)

10. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:(In other words, a tree is KNOWN by what FRUIT it bears) whosoever does NOT righteousness is NOT of God, neither he that loves not his brother.

11. For THIS IS the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

12. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

13. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

14. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loves NOT his brother abides in death.

15. Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you KNOW that NO murderer has eternal life ABIDING IN him.”

Plain and simple, IF we do not walk in love and we harbor hatred toward one another refusing to repent then we are likened to being a murder which we know cannot inherit eternal life in the world to come.

So therefore, if we say we love Jesus then we will obey his teaching which he taught to his apostles and disciples in the New Testament.

Now some Christians have gone to the extreme on one side of the scale while some christians have gone to the extreme on the opposite end of the scale. What I mean by this is that some christians have been deceived to try and keep both the OLD Covenant and the New Covenant in order to be pleasing to God and receive eternal life in the world to come. While some other Christians have been deceived to not keep any of the teachings of Jesus to endure unto the end to be saved.

But the truth of the whole word of God is right down the middle between these two extreme teachings of the seventh day of the week sabbath keeping christians and the once saved always saved grace alone you can never lose your salvation no matter what you do or do not do Christians.

The simple gospel message is to be led of the Holy Spirit and while we are obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit there is no condemnation is us. But as soon as we begin walking after the flesh the Holy Spirit condemns us of SIN. And we have that condemnation of sin until we confess that sin and ask God to forgive us of that sin. And when we obey the leading of the Holy Spirit to confess our sins if and when we sin then God forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness to be made perfect once again in the eyes of God. How can the gospel of Jesus Christ be any more simple than obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you to lead and guide you into all truth?

Now some Christians who have been taught that it is wrong to break the weekly Sabbath day do indeed feel guilt if they do not keep the seventh day of the week Holy as they have been taught even though what they have been taught is not the truth of the whole word of Almighty God. What I am saying is that simply having condemnation does not prove that the condemnation if from the Holy Spirit.

And hear is how I hear this to be true. Every seventh day of the week saturday Sabbath keeping christian will argue that the Bible itself does not command us to keep sunday as a day of rest and I agree. But here is the thing. When I was raised in the Roman Catholic church I was taught that it was a mortal SIN if I missed going to mass on Sunday. And when I became a true born-again christian in the Assemblies of God denomination that teachings stayed with me and I felt guilt if I missed going to church on Sunday. But after I saw from God’s word that there is no such commandment to keep any day of the week that condemnation of missing church service on sunday has left me and has never returned.

Now on the other end of the scale those christians who are taught once saved always saved grace alone and no works will reason away any condemnation of sin by teaching that only Jesus can live without sin. And over time they quench the convicting work of the Holy Spirit to no longer confess their sins.

So then, on the one end of the scale there are some christians who are not fully trusting in the work of Jesus who go about to try and earn their salvation by works that are no longer required under the New Covenant. And one they other end of the scale there are some christians who do not truly believe the teachings of Jesus to obey his teachings to do the works of righteousness that are required to obtain eternal life in the world to come.

Paul warns both groups of christians on both ends of the scale that they have departed from the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ saving that the Judaizing Christians have fallen from grace and the Christians living in sin have departed from God. So unless both groups of christians repent and obey the truth of the gospel then they are in danger of losing their reward of the gift of eternal life in the world to come.

Now both groups of christians seem to love defending what they have been taught by their church denomination. And the osas group of christians would say that the sabbath keeping christians are making a lie or teaching a false doctrine. And the sabbath keeping christians would say that the osas christians are making a lie or teaching a false doctrine. And those of us who are down the middle will say that both the sabbath keeping christians and the once saved always saved christians are making a lie or teaching false doctrines.

And here is what Jesus says about lying.

(Revelation 22:11-15):

“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. (So then AT the very moment of the beginning of the sounding of the LAST trumpet which is when our CHANGE for mortal to immortality takes place in a MOMENT and in a twinkling of an eye there will be NO time for ANYONE to REPENT of living in SIN or turn away and commit any sin. And that is WHY we must always be READY for the coming of Jesus and the rapture of the church. For IF we be found a worker of iniquity we shall NOT inherit eternal life when Jesus returns.)

12. And, behold, I come quickly; and my REWARD (or payment that is promised) is with me, to give every man according as his WORK shall BE. (AT the MOMENT I return which is WHY I am WARNING you beforehand that those living in unrighteous when I return will be rewarded according to their WORK of iniquity)

13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14. Blessed are THEY that DO his commandments, that (or so that or in order that) THEY (speaking of ONLY those of us who are IN Jesus Christ who are OBEYING the leading of the Holy Spirit to KEEP the commandments written in the NEW Testament under the NEW Covenant) may have RIGHT to the tree of life, and may ENTER in through the gates into the city.

15. For (or because) without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.”

Over and over in the letters to the church, Jesus warns us that if we do not overcome then we will not be granted eternal life in the world to come.

So I implore my readers to do your own word search on how and when we receive eternal life in the world to come. And once you see directly from God’s word that our receiving the promise of eternal life is conditional then you will see that being saved is a process the begins our faith.

Jesus is both the author and the finisher of our faith and we can be assured that he who began this good work in us will also complete it which means that HE will never leave nor forsake us but it does not mean that we can never be deceived by false teaching and forsake him. God bless us richly as you continue in the truth of the whole word of our Lord and Saviour.

God Bless,

MyBibleQuestions

How To Pray For Others

Posted on August 18, 2018August 18, 2018 by admin

I believe it is safe to assume that most of us as christians have family and friends that we desire to come to the knowledge of the truth about God and be saved. If this is you and you are not sure how to pray for those you love to be saved, then this time together, God’s word will help you to learn how to pray effectively where you will have confidence that your prayer will be answered.

Let us begin in God’s word by reading over a list of things that we must know about praying for others.

1. We must know God’s will in the matter that you are praying to be accomplished in another.

2. We must know that God will answer your prayer.

3. We must have patience knowing that when praying for others that their will is involved, which can slow the progress of your prayer.

We must also know the weapons our enemy uses, and how to effectively over come them.

When we embrace the truth of knowing that Almighty God himself desires our loved ones to be saved more than we do, then it takes the focus off the question why Lord have you not saved my sister and puts the focus on what do I need to do differently. Lord for my sister to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved?

In other words, there is more to an unanswered prayer than just the matter of it not being God’s will. Many of us question why our prayers are not answered and rather than going to God and asking for understanding some lay all the blame on unanswered prayer for not being God’s will.

Gods’ Will

Let me just say that if you do not know God’s Will, then how can you have Faith?

Everything we receive from God requires us to have faith. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot be saved without faith. In other words, we must first Believe that it is God’s will to save us before we can be saved. The same is true with everything that we ask of God. We must first know that it is God’s will. Then once we have eliminated the possibility of your request not being God’s will we will have confidence knowing that God not only hears our prayer, but also that he will answer our prayer as well.

This brings us to another point, which is that we have a need for patience when praying for others, because their own will and desires sometimes will hinder our prayers. It is kind of like alcoholics need to see for themselves that they are indeed alcoholics. In other words, those who are lost must first recognize that they are indeed lost and need a savior. There are many obstacles to our prayers.

So then, the first point of our prayer after we have cleansed ourself by asking forgiveness of any sin that may be in our life is to ask God to open the eyes of understanding of those we love so that they will recognize that they are sinners and that they need to be saved.

For example we might pray something like:

“Heavenly Father search my heart and if there be any wicked way in me cleanse me of my sins. Father I come boldly to your throne of grace in the name of your Son Jesus to ask that you open the eyes of understanding of my brother/sister (say the name of the person for whom you are praying). “

Also it is good to write down our prayer and date it so that we can refer back to it that he/she may see that he/she needs to turn from his/her wicked ways and call upon you to be saved.

Now after we have prayed, know that God has heard our prayer and that he is answering our prayer. Be patient, sometimes it takes time for the person for whom we are praying to respond to the drawing of God’s Holy Spirit.

Thanksgiving

We need to add to our prayer thanksgiving. Please read (Philippians 4:6,7), which teaches us that we should give thanks not only when we first pray, but also continue to give thanks until we see receive the answer to our prayer.

Adding thanksgiving to our prayer can be expanded to include another form of prayer that I call our everyday confession of our mouth, which is probably the number one hindrance to the prayers of many of us.

What I mean by this is that I have heard some brothers and sisters pray the most sound biblical prayer that I have ever hear and then turn right around and cancel their prayer by the negative words of their everyday speech. In other words, after praying a prayer of Faith they prove that they do not Believe the word of God nor their own prayer, because when they are asked by another Christian, “How is your sister?”, they respond with something like, “It seems the more I pray the worse she get. I don’t know if God even hears my prayers”.

This is not a name it and claim it type study, but rather it is an in depth study in God Word that covers the many, many verses of scripture that clearly teach us that we form our our future by the words of our mouth. Satan has mocked and ridiculed us who teach this Truth about God’s word, because he knows the power of the spoken word. There is a very good chance that the reason your prayers are not being answered in because you are undoing your own prayers by your everyday speech. However this is not the only thing stopping your prayer from being answered.

First we find scripture so that we know that it is God’s will. Then we pray the word of God putting God in remembrance of his word. After we have prayer this scriptural prayer, then we given God thanks for doing what he said that he would do in his word. Try not to continually ask or pray this same prayer over and over, but instead just give God thanks in a positive confession of faith over and over until you have perfect peace or until you have received that answer to your prayer. This does not mean that you must stop thanking God for answering your prayer after you receive what you have requested, because continued thanksgiving only reinforces and strengthens the situation and gives Glory to our Father in Heaven.

Let me see if I can explain what I just said so that you can understand what I mean. First you must find it in the word of God, so that you will know that you are praying God’s will. Please read (Romans 2:4), which teaches us that it is the goodness of our Almighty God that leads us to repentance.

We might pray something like:

“Heaven Father I thank you for opening the eyes of understanding of my brother or sister. He/she has heard your word of truth spoken to he/she by me and I know that you word will not return to you void, but you will precipitate to perform your word and it will do what you sent it to do. I thank you Father for your goodness is leading my brother/sister to the knowledge of the truth to repent of his/her sins. I ask that you send forth other laborers to witness to my brother/sister. You know what he/she has a need for right now that will further cause her eyes of understanding to be opened to the truth of your word.

I thank you now Father for all those who are reaching out to preach the gospel to my bother/sister. I thank you for all the radio, television and Internet gospel messages that you are bringing before him/her to hear. I thank you Father for other believers that you are bringing into his/her life to witness to him/her by your word and by your deed. In Jesus name we pray, Amen”

It is when we give thanks to God for saving the ones we love that God can honor and perform his word, because our sincere heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving shows our FAITH and confidence in God and his word. Ask God to reveal to you some more positive confessions of Faith for the ones you love, to be saved. Again please remember the Prayer without Faith is not what God wants from us. We have a good understanding on how to pray for yourself and others and what hinders our prayers.

God Bless,

MyBibleQuestions

Will Christians Go Through The Tribulation?

Posted on August 17, 2018October 26, 2018 by admin

This question seems to be asked more and more often, living in these times doesn’t help ease the fact either. I tend to always respond by telling them that when the Tribulation begins, the people who are on earth will not have to ask anyone about whether or not it has begun. The Tribulation will be a living hell with a degree of violence that is unparalleled in all of history.

The Bible gives us a lot of information about this horrible period of seven years that is fast approaching. The entire book of Zephaniah is devoted to it. In addition to many other Old Testament passages, like Isaiah 24, fourteen chapters in the book of Revelation focus on it (Revelation 6-19).

But despite all this information, there are many myths concerning the Great Tribulation that circulate among Christians and non-christians. For example, many argue that the first half of this time period will be peaceful and that only the second half will be characterized by intense warfare. Other misconceptions relate to the Antichrist and the Church.

Biblical Basis

Before we consider some of these myths and misconceptions, let’s familiarize ourselves with the concept of the Tribulation. Where does the idea come from, and what does it mean?

The Concept

The first mention of the Tribulation in the Bible is found in Deuteronomy 4:27-30. Before the Children of Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses warned them that if they were unfaithful to God, they would be scattered among the nations. He then prophesied that “in the latter days” they would come under “distress,” and the result would be their “return to the Lord.”

Centuries later, Jeremiah used the same terminology when he referred to the Tribulation. He called it “the time of Jacob’s distress” (Jeremiah 30:7). In like manner, Daniel called it “the time of distress,” and he prophesied it would be the worst period of trouble in the history of the Jewish people (Daniel 12:1).

Malachi stated it would be a time of refining for the Jews, as when silver is purified by fire (Malachi 3:1-4). And Zechariah used the same imagery when he prophesied that two-thirds of the Jewish people will perish during this time. Of the remnant remaining, he wrote, “I [the Lord] will bring the third part through the fire [and] refine them as silver is refined…” (Zechariah 13:8-9).

The Jews will not be the only ones to suffer during this period of unparalleled trouble. The Bible makes it clear that all the nations of the world will experience catastrophic calamities.

Isaiah says it will be “a day of reckoning” for all the nations of the world (Isaiah 2:10-17). Zephaniah says that “all the earth will be devoured in the fire of God’s jealousy” (Zephaniah 1:18). Here’s how the psalmist Asaph put it: “A cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams… surely, all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs” (Psalm 75:8).

The Length

The prophet Daniel defined the length of the Tribulation. He said God would accomplish all His purposes for the Jewish people during a period of 70 weeks of years (490 years). Sixty-nine of those weeks of years (483 years) would lead up to the death of the Messiah. The final week of years would occur at the end of the age, right before the return of the Messiah (Daniel 9:24-27). This concluding week of years (7 years) corresponds to the Tribulation for, as Daniel put it, it will mark the time when “the prince who is to come” will “make desolate” — a reference to the Antichrist.

The timing established by Daniel is confirmed in the book of Revelation where the Tribulation is divided into two periods of 3 1/2 years each (Revelation 11:3,7 and 13:5). The dividing point between the two halves of the Tribulation will occur when the Antichrist reveals himself by entering the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, stopping the sacrifices, and declaring himself to be god (Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; and Revelation 13:5-6).

The Starting Point

When will this terrible period begin? The Bible says in general terms that it will start after the Jews have been regathered and have been re-established in their homeland and in their sacred city of Jerusalem.

Specifically, the Bible says it will begin at a time when all the world comes together against Israel over the issue of who will control the city of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2-3). In short, we are on the very threshold of the Tribulation today as we witness the United Nations, the European Union, the Vatican, and the Arab nations demanding that the Jews surrender their sovereignty over Jerusalem.

The specific event that will mark the seven year count down of the Tribulation will be the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and her Arab enemies — a treaty that will allow the Jews to rebuild their Temple (Daniel 9:27).

The Tribulation

The unparalleled horror of the Tribulation is spelled out in detail in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. Isaiah wrote that it will be a day of “terror of the Lord” when “the pride of men will be abased” (Isaiah 2:10,17,19). Zephaniah proclaimed that it will be a “day of wrath,” “a day of trouble and distress,” and “a day of destruction and desolation”(Zephaniah 1:15). Men will stumble around like they are blind and “their blood will be poured out like dust” (Zephaniah 1:17).

This dreary picture is echoed in the New Testament. Jesus said it will be a time of tribulation “such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall” (Matthew 24:21). In fact, Jesus said it will be so terrible that if it were not stopped at the end of seven years, it would result in the destruction of all life (Matthew 24:22). The Apostle John states that the chaos will be so great that the leaders of the world will crawl into caves and cry out for the rocks of the mountains to fall upon them (Revelation 6:15-16).

Misconceptions

With this biblical background, let’s turn our attention now to some of the misconceptions that exist regarding the Tribulation. Five of the major ones that I would identify are listed below:

The Antichrist will rise to world power through cunning, flatter, and deception.
The whole world will flock to the Antichrist in awe and adoration.
The Jews will accept the Antichrist as their Messiah.
There will be 3 1/2 years of peace followed by 3 1/2 years of war.
The Antichrist will be the most brilliant and effective leader in world history.

Antichrist’s Rise to Power

The idea that the Antichrist will rise to world power through shrewdness and skilled diplomacy is based on Daniel 8:23-25a. These verses say a king will arise who is “skilled in intrigue” and who “will succeed through the practice of deceit.”

But the same passage also says that he “will destroy to an extraordinary degree.” He will destroy both “mighty men and the people of the saints.” Many of these he will destroy “while they are at peace” (Daniel 8:24-25a).

These verses make it very clear that the Antichrist is going to use both diplomacy and military power to gain control of the world. The likeliest scenario is that he will initially rise to power in Europe through the use of shrewd diplomacy. But he will extend his power from his European base through war.

“Acceptance” of the Antichrist

I believe his conquering of the world through the use of military power is what is pictured in Revelation 6:1-8. This passage pictures the Antichrist going forth at the beginning of the Tribulation with a bow “to conquer.” A red horse representing war “takes peace from the earth.” The result is widespread suffering and the death of one-fourth of humanity by the sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts.

It is a misconception to believe the non-European world will flock to the Antichrist in awe and adoration. The world outside of Europe is not going to submit willingly to the control of the Antichrist, no matter how charismatic and dynamic he may be.

Keep in mind that the nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America have fought for the past 200 years to rid themselves of European colonial rule. They are not going to passively submit themselves to a renewal of that rule. They will fight, and the result, as Revelation 6so clearly indicates, will be a horrible world war of unprecedented magnitude.

Acceptance of the Antichrist by the Jews

The idea that the Jews will accept the Antichrist as their Messiah during the Tribulation is based upon a statement by Jesus that is recorded in John 5:43. Jesus said, “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him.”

But the relevant end time passages in Daniel and Revelation seem to make it clear that the acceptance of the Antichrist by the Jews will be as a political redeemer who miraculously works out a peace settlement what will guarantee their safety and will enable them to rebuild their Temple.

There is no indication that they ever accept the Antichrist as a spiritual redeemer — as their Messiah. In fact, when the Antichrist enters the Temple in the middle of the Tribulation and declares himself to be God, the Jews revolt against him (Revelation 12:13-17).

When the revolt occurs, the Antichrist becomes obsessed with annihilating the Jewish people. That is when the “great tribulation” spoken of my Jesus in Matthew 24 will begin.

The Tribulation Holocaust that will occur during the last 3 1/2 years of that terrible period will be far worse than the Nazi Holocaust. Two-thirds of the Jews will be killed (Zechariah 13:8-9). The Antichrist will be possessed by Satan (Daniel 8:24), and Satan is determined to annihilate the Jews.

Satan’s obsession with the Jews stems from the fact that he hates them with a passion. He hates them because they gave the world the Bible. He hates them because the Messiah came through them. He hates them because God loves them, and because God chose them to be a witness of what it means to have a relationship with Him. And Satan hates the Jews because God has promised over and over in His Word that at the end of the Tribulation, He is going to bring a great remnant to salvation through faith in their Messiah, Yeshua (Romans 9-11).

First Half of the Tribulation

Another misconception relates to the nature of the first half of the Tribulation. Many believe that this period of 3 1/2 years is going to be a time of peace that will be followed by 3 1/2 years of war. Some feel so strongly about this that they use the word, Tribulation, to apply only to the second half of the seven year period.

This view is based primarily on a statement Jesus made that is recorded in Matthew 24. According to this passage, Jesus referred to the last half of Daniel’s 70th week of years as “the great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21). But it must be kept in mind that these words of Jesus were directed specifically to the Jewish people.

The second half of the Tribulation will truly be the “time of great tribulation” for the Jews. That’s because they will live in peace during the first half of the Tribulation under a covenant guaranteed by the Antichrist. During that time, the Antichrist will be focused on conquering the world. Once he has accomplished that goal — as he will (Revelation 13:7-8) — he will go to Jerusalem, enter the Temple, stop the sacrifices, and desecrate the Temple by erecting a statue of himself (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

The Jewish people will be outraged and will respond in a revolt. When they do this, the Antichrist will become obsessed with destroying them. That will be his primary goal during the second half of the Tribulation.

So, to summarize, the Jews will live in peace during the first half of the Tribulation, but not the Gentile nations of the world. The wars of the Antichrist will devastate the world. One-fourth of humanity will die in the initial war (Revelation 6:8). That’s 1.5 billion people in today’s terms. According to Revelation 8 and 9, when the war resumes, one-third of those left alive will die (another 1.5 billion).

The first half of the Tribulation is going to be anything but a time of peace. It will, instead, be a time of unimaginable carnage, for one-half of humanity will die in the first 3 1/2 years.

Quality of the Antichrist’s Leadership

The erroneous concept that the Antichrist will be the world’s most brilliant and glorious leader is based on Revelation 13:7 where it says he will gain authority over “every tribe, people, tongue and nation” on planet earth — something no other person has ever done.

But the evidence of prophecy points to the fact that his reign will be anything but brilliant and glorious.

For example, his conquest of the world will devastate the earth. It will be like Napoleon’s “victory” in Russia — he will win the battle and lose the war. The Antichrist will end up with a world that is devastated and polluted beyond imagination. Furthermore, the world’s subservience to him and worship of him will be based to a large degree on force, deception, and terror — not just genuine admiration.

Also, his obsession with the Jews will undermine his kingdom and ultimately lead to its destruction. Daniel 11:40-45 indicates that when his attention is diverted to the destruction of the Jews, a worldwide revolt will break out against his kingdom. Nations will send armies against him from the North, East and South.

The Antichrist may prove to be a successful military conqueror, but he will be a miserable leader whose world wide empire will last only 3 1/2 years — and during that time, it will be constantly ravaged by internal revolt.

Misconception Concerning the Church

Another popular misconception about the Tribulation is that the Church will go through it and suffer mightily at the hands of the Antichrist. This concept is based upon verses like Revelation 13:7 which says that the Antichrist will “make war with the saints.”

But I believe the saints referred to here are those who are saved during the Tribulation. There is going to be a great harvest of souls during the Tribulation. Some will be saved in response to the Rapture. Others will respond to the preaching of the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem (Revelation 11). The response of others will be stimulated by the Tribulation judgments which will motivate many to repent. Still others will respond to the special angel who will be sent by God near the end of the Tribulation to proclaim the Gospel to every living creature (Revelation 14:6-7). Many will be saved, but most of these will be martyred for their faith (Revelation 7:9-17).

There is no purpose for the Church during the Tribulation. This will be a time of God’s judgment upon the unbelieving Gentiles and Jews who have rejected God’s grace, love and mercy expressed in Jesus.

Some argue that the Church must go through the Tribulation to be purged or cleansed. But the true Church has already been purified by the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 John 1:7; and Romans 8:1). The Tribulation is not a Protestant purgatory.

The symbolic imagery of the New Testament focuses on the Church as being the Bride of Christ. Is the Bridegroom going to beat up His Bride for seven years before He comes for her? I think not. The Bible says that Jesus is coming to deliver His Bride from the wrath that is to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Also, Revelation 19:8 and 14 pictures Jesus returning with His Church at the end of the Tribulation, indicating the Redeemed will be taken out of this world before the Tribulation begins.

Revelation focuses on the Church in its first three chapters. Beginning with chapter 4, there is no more mention of the Church during the entire period of the Tribulation. The Church is not referred to again until Revelation 22:16.

Purpose

What’s it all about? Why is there going to be such carnage? How could a God of grace, mercy and love allow such an outbreak of unbridled terror and bloodshed?

One reason is to satisfy the justice of God. Yes, God is characterized by grace, mercy and love, but He is also a God of perfect justice, righteousness, and holiness. Therefore, He must deal with sin. His justice demands it. Even His love compels it. How could a God of true love simply overlook the actions of a murderer or a pedophile?

The prophet Nahum understood the true nature of God. He wrote that “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him” (Nahum 1:7). That is the love and mercy of God. But the same prophet wrote (Nahum 1:2-3):

“A jealous and avenging God is the Lord;
The Lord is avenging and wrathful.
The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.”

Truly, the Lord is “slow to anger.” He allows the iniquities of Mankind to accumulate over long periods of time because He doesn’t wish that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). His desire, instead, is that all should come to repentance. But there is always a day of reckoning, just as there was in the days of Noah, and such a day has been set for this age. Paul referred to it in his sermon in Athens when he said, “He [God] has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31).

A second reason for the Tribulation is to bring people to salvation. Amazingly, even when God pours out His wrath, His fundamental purpose is not to destroy but to save. Isaiah 26:9 explains it this way: “When the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”

The brutal fact is that God often has to hit us over the head with a two-by-four in order to get our attention and motivate us to repentance. The equally brutal fact is that most people respond to such discipline by either cursing God or continuing to ignore Him (Revelation 9:20-21). But some people always respond in humility and are saved. As Billy Graham has put it: “The same sun that melts the butter, hardens the clay.”

When God’s wrath is poured out during the Tribulation, some hearts will be melted, but most will be hardened, illustrating once again that nothing is as “deceitful” and “desperately sick”as the heart of Man (Jeremiah 17:9).

Man is frivolous about sin. God is serious. The Tribulation will be a graphic expression of how serious God is about Mankind’s rebellion against Him.

The signs of the times are shouting that we are standing on the threshold of the Tribulation. The message of the Holy Spirit is “Come out of Babylon” (Revelation 18:4). That message means for us to separate ourselves from the love of this world and prepare ourselves for eternity. For believers, it means a commitment to holiness. For unbelievers it means a commitment to Jesus as Lord and Savior before He returns as God’s avenger. The time remaining is short. The time for action is now. We have to be worried for our salvation because, it is only through His Grace that we are saved and not by being good.

God Bless,

MyBibleQuestions

What Does God Say About An Organ Transplant?

Posted on June 8, 2018October 26, 2018 by admin

Several issues exist here. Jesus tells us “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (St. John 15:13). What greater love can we express than donating an organ that we have no more use for in order to save a life? We are literally saving someone from death.

But a different approach looks at what the Apostle Paul says: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple, and that God’s Holy Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy and that temple you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Is it right, then, to cut up this temple and remove parts of it even if it means bettering or saving a life? What organs, if any, really matter; the heart, the lungs, the brain? Can’t God resurrect our body if we donate parts of it to save others? Is dying “God’s will”? If I have a terminal illness, why should I want a transplant? Shouldn’t I allow myself to die naturally?

In the United States there are currently more than 116,000 people on the national transplant waiting list. And while an average of 75 people receive a transplant each day, another 20 people die each day waiting for transplants due to a shortage of donations. During the time it takes to read this article, another name will be added to the waiting list – something that happens every 11 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

These are difficult questions that have divided even the “expert” Church theologians. Some seem to favor the “lay down one’s life” idea. They feel that if a life can be saved, why not save it. After all, it was not God’s will that man should die. We should fight death until our last breath. Besides, God can resurrect us with or without all of our organs (Ezek. 37:1-14). Even though the body was the “temple of the Holy Spirit” during life, removing the organs after or just before death is not a defilement but a type of offering of ourselves to others in need.

On the other hand, you have some who feel that the body should not be defiled either before or after death. It is still sacred even when our life is over simply because it was the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, it should remain whole with all of its parts untouched unless they were destroyed by disease or the result of an accident. They view at the removal of organs as a violation of the body, the former temple.

You also find some whose views fall somewhat in the middle. They feel that “minor things” like corneas or bone narrow are not a problem. They also believe that major organs like the heart should not be removed. They view at the biblical references to the heart as well as its medical function of keeping the body alive. The same might be said for the lungs that give us breath and sustain our life. How do you determine what is and is not acceptable, since even the theologians are divided?

We need to ask ourselves how we feel about this issue. Which of these views best reflects our own feelings and beliefs? We need to talk to our Spiritual Father about it as well. Even though the views differ, there are some points upon which they all agree:

– No one should be forced by anyone else to donate his or her organs. We must make sure that the person whose organs are taken made it clear that he wanted his organs donated. A gift is to be given freely at the will of the one giving it, not taken from him. If it is taken, it is not a true gift.

– Someone whose life will be put in danger by the donation should not make donations.

– Likewise, organ donations should not be made to the point of the suicide of the donor. In other words, this means

no vital organs from a living donor, which, if removed, could cause their death.

– It is also wrong to hasten or cause the death of a donor.

– Finally, the Church does not condemn those who choose not to be donors.

These are just a few of the moral and ethical questions you will have to face in your lifetime. There will be many, many more than our knowledge and technology increases. When faced with a moral dilemma, do some research. Ask yourself the key questions you learned, talk with Father in Heaven by praying about it. Ask God to help you make the right decision.

Blood Transfusions

Some very valid points are brought up when these questions come up. The Bible doesn’t say anything about blood transfusions either, and Scripture tell us not to EAT blood (Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 7:26; 17:12-14; 19:26); and getting transfusions doesn’t equate to “eating” the blood.
The gist is that we are not to make a ritual of it like the pagans do. Does that mean we cannot put the same “type” of blood into a brother to save his life if his own is poisoned or draining out? That’s a great question…. God gave us brains and knowledge to save lives; and doctors have figured out that blood transfusions are one possible way to do that.

Actually, the only instruction we can see in the Bible concerning blood is that it must be poured out onto earth, which is in reference to dead creatures. In other words, we are not to be using the blood/life from a dead creature because when a creature is finished “using” its life, its life is to be returned to it’s Creator (Ecclesiastes 12:7), because it belongs to God who is the giver of life (Psalms 24:1, Isaiah 42:5, 1 Corinthians 10:26).

God forbade the eating of blood (Leviticus 7:26-27, Leviticus 17:10, 12-14, Acts 15:29), but in all cases it is in regard to the blood from animals, not from humans. In any case, we don’t sacrifice humans, and we don’t consume human flesh, and we don’t “drink” human blood” when we receive a transfusion.

We know that the 10 plagues in the Exodus were because the plagues represented Egyptian “gods”. Scripture itself does not say this, but we can know this by understanding what scripture says and comparing it to our knowledge of Egyptian culture in the era. In the same way, the command not to “eat blood” as we know, is because we are to show respect for life and not do as the pagans did which showed no respect for life.

In Leviticus 17:13-16 we find this: 13″When someone from the community of Israel or one of the foreigners living with you hunts and catches game, whether animal or bird that may be eaten, he is to pour out its blood and cover it with earth. 14 For the life of every creature – its blood is its life. Therefore, I said to the people of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it will be cut off.( 15 “Anyone eating an animal that dies naturally or is torn to death by wild animals, whether he is a citizen or a foreigner, is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening; then he will be clean. 16 But if he doesn’t wash them or bathe his body, he will bear the consequences of his wrongdoing.”

Note that in verse 13-14 we find the rule for preparing game. Kill it, drain it, eat it. But in verse 15 we find that if an animal is found already dead, you can eat it, but you are “unclean.” Is that because you “ate blood”? No! It is because you touched a corpse! See Leviticus 11:39-40, which says: 39 “‘If an animal of a kind that you are permitted to eat dies, whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until evening. 40 A person who eats meat from its carcass or carries its carcass is to wash his clothes; he will be unclean until evening.” It is the fact that the (edible) animal died, and no one could show respect for it by properly draining its “life”; and so even though you may eat the animal which died naturally, you are unclean as a result.

Let’s go back to the first place we learn of the “blood” issue. It’s in Genesis 9: 2 The fear and dread of you will be upon every wild animal, every bird in the air, every creature populating the ground, and all the fish in the sea; they have been handed over to you. 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; just as I gave you green plants before, so now I give you everything – 4 only flesh with its life, which is its blood, you are not to eat. 5 I will certainly demand an accounting for the blood of your lives: I will demand it from every animal and from every human being. I will demand from every human being an accounting for the life of his fellow human being. 6 Whoever sheds human blood, by a human being will his own blood be shed; for God made human beings in his image.

Why could this be so important to God that we are permitted to eat the meat, but not the blood, even though we know that properly drained, there is STILL blood in meat that we eat? Well, I believe the answer is found here:

(Deuteronomy 12:20) “When the Lord your God expands your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I want to eat meat,( simply because you want to eat meat, then you may eat meat, as much as you want. (21)If the place that the Lord your God chooses to place his name is too far away from you; then you are to slaughter animals from your cattle or sheep, which the Lord has given you; and eat on your own property, as much as you want. (22) Eat it as you would gazelle or deer; the unclean and clean alike may eat it.

(23) Just take care not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you are not to eat the life with the meat. (24) Don’t eat it, but pour it out on the ground like water. (25) Do not eat it, so that things will go well with you and with your children after you, as you do what the Lord sees as right. (26) Only the things set aside for God which you have, and the vows you have vowed to make, you must take and go to the place which the Lord will choose. (27) There you will offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your sacrifices is to be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but the flesh you may eat. (28) Obey and pay attention to everything I am ordering you to do, so that things will go well with you and with your descendants after you forever, as you do what the Lord sees as good and right.

(29) “When the Lord your God has cut off ahead of you the nations you are entering in order to dispossess, and when you have dispossessed them and are living in their land; (30) be careful, after they have been destroyed ahead of you, not to be trapped into following them; so that you inquire after their gods and ask, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I want to do the same.(31) “You must not do this to the Lord your God! For they have done to their gods all the abominations that the Lord hates! They even burn up their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods! (32) “Everything I am commanding you, you are to take care to do. Do not add to it or subtract from it.

Read verse 28, then read from verse 30. Verse 30 says “be careful, after they have been destroyed ahead of you, not to be trapped into following them; so that you inquire after their gods and ask, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I want to do the same.( You must not do this to the Lord your God! For they have done to their gods all the abominations that the Lord hates! ” – these verses indicate how these the “nations” served their “gods”, i.e., the pagans drank the blood!

So what have we learned?

We have learned that the prohibition of drinking blood is for drinking blood of slain (edible) animals only. We are to drain that blood to the earth. Drinking blood, as the pagans did, is an abomination to God, and we are to take care not to do that. We are to show respect for the life in the animal we eat and drain its blood onto the earth.

So are transfusions OK? Most certainly they are! First, no human was slain to get the blood. Second, no blood was “consumed” in any pagan ritual which is an abomination to God. Third, according to (Genesis 9:5), we will be required to present an accounting for the life of our fellow human being. If a transfusion can save lives, then it should not be denied, and it is not against the will of God.

Final Thoughts

When the Torah was recorded by Moses, electricity was not known either, yet today, since God has allowed us to use the brains He gave us, electricity is used in all sorts of positive ways – and negative ways. Don’t be overwhelmed by medical advances! They are in no way “playing God”! He permits these advances for are good and sometimes for our bad.

Generally, in the case of donating organs after death, the gifts that God has given to us to use in this life– our eyes, hearts, liver, and so on– can be passed on to someone in need. In the case of donating organs while alive, such as giving a healthy kidney to a relative in need, the donor needs to weigh all the implications; in charity, a potential donor may decide he cannot offer an organ, such as if he were a parent and would not want to increase the risk of not being able to care for his own dependent children. Although organ donation is not mandatory, it is commendable as an act of charity.

But, you are correct to be wary of medical procedures “just because we can.” For example, today, we can keep “the body” alive at will! We know enough to keep “the body” alive, perhaps forever, by mechanically circulating oxygenated blood and nutrients to the brain and organs, but is that “life”? It is only when medical technology extends its value that it becomes a problem. I hope this is clear and helpful for you to make a biblical decision about organ donation or blood transfusion.

God Bless,

MyBibleQuestions

Why Are The Jews Gods’ Chosen People?

Posted on May 14, 2018October 26, 2018 by admin

Are the Jews God’s Chosen People?

Many of us have asked ourselves about why the Jews are God’s chosen people. I know I asked myself this question when I first came to God. Another question is are the Jews God’s people today? Are there any prophecies or commands of God as to how Christians are to deal with them?

Are the things happening in Palestine any indication of the coming of Jesus?

What about the inheritance of the Jews and when will they receive it?

In this time together we will look into these questions and see what the Bible says about the Jewish people.

The Bible is clear on the subject and it is important to us. We must remember that the term “Jew” as used in the gospels is predominantly used to denote the religious leaders of Jesus time. Other terms were used when speaking of the people, such as “the common people heard him gladly.” Mark 12:37 we should also keep in mind that the early church was almost entirely Jews.

For over three years the gospel went throughout Jerusalem and Judea before it went to the Gentiles. The three thousand added to the church on the day of Pentecost were of Jewish descent.

Jews Reject Jesus

At the trial of Jesus the Jews called for the blood of Jesus to be on them and their children. Matt. 27:25. Still, Jesus sent His disciples (Jews themselves) to preach to the Jews, and they did until the Romans destroyed their nation in 70 AD. We should love them just as much as Jesus does, and many of them are accepting Jesus as their Messiah.

They need Jesus just as we do: “there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Paul loved his people and prayed for them. “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Rom. 10:1-4. Paul loved them and earnestly wanted them to be saved. We should have the same loving attitude. Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every nation and people. They, as a people, certainly fall into that broad category. Christians should seek to give the gospel to them as well as anyone else. Indeed, some of them are helping to take the gospel to their own people.

The Salvation Of Jews

As we read Romans 11. In the 2nd verse Paul says that Israel is not cast away and points to himself as evidence. He became a follower of Christ and he worked for the salvation of the Jews all through his ministry, even though he was the apostle to the Gentiles. In verse 7 he says “Israel has not obtained what it seeks.”

Then in (Romans 11:19-22) where he is talking about us (Gentiles) being grafted into their olive tree, he says: “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness.

Otherwise, you also will be cut off.” The words “did not spare” let us know that as a nation he considered the Jews no longer God’s people. As individuals, they can still have salvation; as individuals, they are no different from anyone else. As a nation, too, they are no different: all need Jesus. Now consider Galatians 3:29. “And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

As individuals, Jews have as much chance for salvation as any Gentile. When Paul started his ministry, the Christian church was made up largely of Jews. There were many who believed and came to Christ. Peter said to the Jewish leaders: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Jew or Gentile, it makes no difference, we are all saved through Jesus Christ. There are many Jewish Christians today.

Jews Return To Israel

Some seem to think that the Jews must go back to Israel and resume the ancient sacrifices. This simply makes no sense because it was Jews (Peter and John in Acts 4:8-13) speaking to Jews, who proclaimed Jesus the only name by which any man can be saved. It is evident that Jews were included in the “we” of “we must be saved.”

The Bible is clear that sacrifices stopped, as far as God is concerned, with the death of Jesus, the Lamb of God. Matthew 27:51. “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.” When God tore that heavy veil from top to bottom, it signaled the end of the animal sacrifices.

It is true that sacrifices continued for a while after the death of Jesus but they lost their significance. The true Sacrifice had been offered. They installed a new veil. But in 70 AD, Titus, the Roman commander, came against Jerusalem and destroyed it. Jesus had predicted that not one stone of the temple would be left on another. Titus gave the command to save that beautiful temple, which was built by Herod.

Jewish zealots found refuge in the temple and continued shooting arrows at the Romans. The soldiers became so angry with the harassment they set the temple on fire. The heat of the raging fire melted all the gold and it ran down in the cracks of the rocks and the soldiers plundered it to get the gold.

The Rebuilding Of The Temple

With no temple, the Jews have had no sacrifices since. Now, as if God is saying there will be no sacrifices ever, the temple mount has a Muslim mosque on it. Can one imagine the uproar if the Jews were to destroy the mosque to rebuild their temple?

Sometime between 1996 and 1997 The Biblical Archaeological Review ran a story on the temple mount and had pictures of the mosque. They also had a picture of a place marked in the rock that scholars believe was the place where the ark of the covenant sat in Solomon’s temple.

Jews In Prophecy

We should pray for the Jewish people today that they might individually come to Jesus. This is all consistent with God’s instructions to Israel. “But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: And at this house, which is high, every one that passes by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?” I Kings 9:6-8. In Romans 11, Paul says the same thing can happen to Christians. We must continue our heart-felt relationship with Jesus or lose our way.

Also, notice the condition given in the promise to Solomon. “If you search for Him, He will let you find Him, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9 TEB. See also Deut. 8:20. This is a warning to Christians just as much as it was to Israel of old.

Jewish Inheritance

God promised Abraham that He would give him and his descendants the land of Canaan. Gen. 12:7. It took many years for that to be fulfilled, as God had to give Abraham’s descendants time to multiply into a nation. The book of Joshua is the story of Israel receiving the inheritance.

First with the help of the Lord they overthrew the inhabitants of the land and then Joshua apportioned it out to the various tribes under God’s direction. Joshua, in chapters 13 thru 22, tells of the division of the land to the 12 tribes of Israel. Galatians 3:29 tells us: “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” All real Christians will be heirs of the heavenly Canaan, heirs of the promise given to Abraham. Even Abraham himself “waited for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Heb. 11:10. This makes it clear the real promise was of the heavenly kingdom.

That is the real fulfillment, the one that will be eternal. Through Jesus, we can obtain title to a kingdom that will never pass away. “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Dan. 7:27. What a glorious promise we have in Jesus Our Lord.

The nation’s corporate rejection of Jesus caused them, as a nation, to lose out on the final inheritance. That inheritance has passed on to all who accept their Messiah (Jesus) as their personal Savior from sin. But as Christians we have been grafted into their olive tree, and we can be cut off as surely as their nation was. Rom. 11:21, 22.

Had the Jews, as a nation, accepted their Messiah, they would have been the church through whom God would work to bring the gospel to all the world. It was their gospel, but they refused to carry it. Thus was born the Christian church and we haven’t done too well either.

Consider this sad but insightful passage: “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:10-12. John, (a Jew himself) must have mourned as he wrote this sad passage. Yet write it he must, for he did it by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

King David’s Throne

In Matthew 1:1-17 the author goes to great lengths to show that Jesus was of the line of David, moving from Abraham to Joseph the earthly Father of Jesus. Luke 3:23-38 does the same thing backwards. He starts with Jesus and works back in time all the way back to Adam. Both genealogies agree and pass through David and Solomon.

The throne was promised to David forever by God. “And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.” I Kings 2:45. Then in 1 Chronicles 28:9, quoted above, Solomon was warned the promise was conditional. Zedekiah was the last king of Israel.

After the Babylonian captivity, the Jews never had a king, only governors, as they were under the dominion of other kings. The Herod kings of Jesus’ time were not of the line of David and were appointed by the Roman Caesar. Israel had lost their kingdom and have never regained it. Yet rest assured the promise of God about the kingdom and the throne are still valid though circumstances have change as to how they are still valid.

Daniel makes it clear that the kingdom will be given to the “people of the saints of the Most High…” Dan. 7:27. Galatians 3:29, quoted above makes it clear that ALL who make Jesus king of their lives will inherit the promises to Abraham as they will be counted the seed of Abraham.

Just as important as this promise is the promise of the royal throne of David. Two of the gospel writers have taken the time to give us the royal lineage of Jesus. Why? Just for interesting information? Not at all. Jesus is of the royal line as a fulfillment of the promise to David.

Isaiah made it clear that the Messiah was to come in the lineage of David. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the THRONE OF DAVID, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6, 7.

The kingdom that God sets up is forever. Daniel makes that clear in Daniel 2:44. Then in 7:13, 14 we find “one like the Son of Man” being brought “in the clouds of heaven” before the judgment throne of God (verses 9, 10) and dominion and a kingdom being given to Him. His dominion and kingdom are both everlasting even using the words “shall not pass away.” Jesus is to be crowned king of our lives today. Someday when He comes again, He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords. Rev. 19:16. This makes the throne of David eternal.

Some claim that Jesus is not in the Old Testament. Paul is not in agreement with that stand and neither is Jesus. Paul, speaking of the Israelites of Moses day said: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4. Jesus said: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39. When one stops to realize that the Old Testament Scriptures were the only Scriptures available when Jesus said that, one realizes that Jesus is all through the Old Testament.

Paul, raised a Pharisee, said: “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” Colossians 3:11. In Christ Old and New Testaments are bound together and all the promises are now to be fulfilled in Spiritual Israel.

Final Thought

We all know if we believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, we have Christ in us. Jesus Christ belongs to us as our Savior. He is in our heart, Christ in us, the hope of Glory, and so on and so forth. And the Bible says “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Now, that’s a profound statement, don’t let that pass you by. The Bible doesn’t say, “okay, just the church at Thyatira, hear what I am saying to Thyatira.” Or, “just these four churches need to hear what I am saying to them.” No. “He that hath an ear”.

Let me ask you this. Do you have an ear this today? Then God is talking to you. You know, I get so tired of people always telling me, I try to show them things in the Bible, “Oh, that’s not for us… that’s not for us”. What about the book of Genesis? “No, OT, not for us.” What about Psalms? “No, not for us, OT.” What about Mathew? “No, not for us, that was for the Jews.” What about the book of Mark? “No, that was for the Romans, not for you. AH! Can’t get your doctrine from the Hebrews, that’s for the Hebrews. Ah! Can’t get your doctrine for James, that’s for the Jews. Ah! Can’t get your doctrine from Titus, that’s only for Titus!” You know, every promise in the book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line. And the Bible says “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

You know what? Just because we don’t go to the church of Thyatira, we better learn the lessons of what God told the church of Thyatira. And just because we don’t go to the church at Smyrna, we better still be faithful unto death. And just because we don’t go to the church at Pergamos, we better still not eat things sacrificed unto idols.

You know, we need to realize that the word of God is addressed unto us. It is for us today. It’s written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. And so we need to take these messages to the seven churches, and realize that they are a message to our church today because Gods’ word is eternal.

God Bless,