Today, in many of our evangelical churches, God's Law (including the Ten Commandments) in the Old Testament is being proclaimed as "bad, burdensome, only being a type or shadow, having been done away with (fulfilled), no longer applicable to New Testament Christians, etc. etc." However, one of the greatest apostles of all time, the Apostle Paul, declared in Romans 7:12 - "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." Obviously, Paul was never taught what many of the ministers of our churches have been taught in their seminaries - that "The Age of Grace" or "The Dispensation of Grace" has made God's Law obsolete! So, who are we to believe...these ministers, who I believe are false prophets, or God's Word?
Since Romans 7:12 begins with the word, "Therefore", we need to look at the previous verses to see what made Paul come to the conclusion that God's "Law is holy and God's Commandment holy, just and good." In Verse 7, Paul states that God's Law helped him to know sin: "...For I would not have known sin except through the Law." To me, that doesn't sound like such a bad thing, is it? In Verse 10, Paul states that "And the Commandment, which was to bring LIFE, I found to bring death." What? The purpose of the Commandment was to bring LIFE? Again, what is so bad about that?
Let's continue on with some verses that follow Romans 7:12. In Verse 14, Paul declares God's Law to be "spiritual". In Verse 22, Paul states that he "delights in the Law of God"! Lastly, in Verse 25, Paul states that he "serves the Law of God". Please remember that the New Testament had not been written yet, so Paul WAS NOT referring to any "New Testament Law" - but had to be referring to God's Law, (including the Ten Commandments) in the Old Testament.
Contrary to what many of us have been taught in our churches and in our Bible colleges and seminaries, this is what God says about His Law in the Old Testament, according to Paul:
1. God's Law is Holy.
2. God's Commandment is Holy.
3. God's Commandment is Just.
4. God's Commandment is Good.
5. God's Law Reveals Sin.
6. God's Law Gives LIFE.
Oh, I know that Romans 7:10 says, "And the commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death." However, we must look at the next verse - Verse 11: "For SIN, taking occasion by the commandment, DECEIVED me, and by IT killed me." God's Commandments are to give LIFE, not death! It is SIN that is deceiving everyone to BELIEVE that God's holy, just and good Commandments are in fact, bad!! This takes us directly back to the Garden of Eden, where Satan cast doubt on the "goodness" of God's Commandment and deceived Eve when he declared to her, "You will not surely die" (Gen. 3:3) IF she disobeyed and broke God's Commandment. However, God had told her that she would surely die. Was it God's Commandment that was going to kill her? Or, was it her disobedience to the Commandment of God (sin) that would kill her? Of course, it was her sin.
Just like our courts of law today in the U.S. - God's Law either declares us "Guilty" or God's Law can declare us "Not Guilty". It all depends IF sin has deceived us into breaking God's Law - the Ten Commandments. I John 3:4 says - "Sin is lawlessness." (NKJV) The King James Version says, "Sin is the transgression of the Law." Living without the Law of God (lawlessness) by breaking it or being disobedient to it (transgressing it) is what will sentence us to eternal death at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Speaking of the "Judgment Seat of Christ", let us not forget WHO "the Lawgiver" is. The logical response to that is "the Lawgiver is the One Who will be sitting on the Judgment Seat" - and that is Jesus Christ! James 4:12 says, "There is one Lawgiver and Judge, Who is able to save and to destroy." God's Law does not save or destroy us - it only declares us "Guilty" or "Not Guilty", and even that is good!
When you stand before Jesus Christ, the Lawgiver, on the day of Judgment - will He declare you to be "Guilty" or "Not Guilty" according to His Law - The Ten Commandments?
Showing posts with label Judgment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Judgment. Show all posts
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Monday, May 6, 2013
Is Jesus Christ God or the Son of God?
So many are confused about Who Jesus Christ really is. Part of this confusion lies in the way He is said to be "God", and yet, referred to as "the Son of God". If He is the Son of God, then how can He still be "God"?
Almighty God, our Creator, became the Son of God when He chose to become a tiny cell Himself and implanted Himself in the womb of a virgin girl named Mary. Mary, at that time, became a surrogate mother - carrying the embryo of the Creator and King of the universe in her womb!
The Roman Catholics believe that because Mary carried the sinless "Son of God" in her womb - then that means she had to be sinless as well. That is not true as there is only one entity in this world Who is without sin, and that is God Himself - Jesus Christ. The way that Mary was able to still be a sinner but give birth to the sinless Son of God is because of the way God has designed the placenta in a pregnant woman. The placenta blocks the mother's blood from getting to the baby, and only lets the nutrients filter through to feed him/her. Many believe that God somehow had a sexual relationship with Mary to produce "God the Son". That is not true! Just as God was able to form the first Adam from the dust of the earth in Genesis 1-3, He was also able to form the "Second Adam" by wrapping flesh around Himself and implanting Himself as an embryo into Mary's womb.
Because God at this time took on flesh and blood, was born of a human, and was given a human Name, Jesus, He is therefore referred to as "The Son of God". It does not mean that God had a baby boy. It means that God Himself WAS the baby boy, named Jesus!
So, what does this mean to us today? Well, Almighty God, our Creator, made us for the express purpose of having a relationship with Him. Because He is the Creator, He laid down some rules (Commandments) for us to live by. His moral law is summed up in what we call "The Ten Commandments". God says that "we have all sinned" (Romans 3:23). Sin is lawlessness or being without law. (I John 3:4) In other words, every person ever born has broken God's law by disobeying it, rebelling against it, and thereby turning their backs on God Himself. Ask yourself, "Have I ever lied? Have I ever stolen anything - big or little? Have I ever lusted after a man or a woman? (God says you have committed adultery in your heart, if you have.)
Because we have disobeyed and rebelled against Him and His law, turning our backs against Him - He says we have brought His wrath down on ourselves. The penalty for our sin and disobedience is DEATH in the lake of fire. But, because God Almighty loves us so much - He decided to take the suffering and death meant for us, upon Himself so that we could live. If you have ever seen Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of Christ", that really shows how angry God is at our choice to rebel against Him and His goodness to us! We are all in BIG trouble with the God of the universe, because He came back to life after He was crucified - and now stands ready to be our Judge in the Day of Judgment after we die.
At that time, the Book of Life will be opened. Those who have chosen to repent of their sin (turn away from sinning and turning their backs on this world), and have given their lives back to Jesus Christ and chosen to follow Him - their names will be in the Book of Life. John 3:36 says, "He who believes in the Son (that Jesus is God in the flesh) has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son (that Jesus is God in the flesh) shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
If we don't repent of our sins and choose to give our lives to Jesus Christ, there will be a Judgment Day after we die when we will stand before God Almighty - Jesus Christ Himself. At that time, we can try to explain to Him just why we chose to continue to sin against Him - after all He did for us. If we think He is angry at us now, just wait until we see His anger on that Day of Judgment for not caring that He suffered and died for us so that we could have life, along with every good thing that we are enjoying on earth today.
If you should die in your sleep tonight, the next Person you will see when you wake up will be Jesus Christ as your Judge. Are you prepared to meet your God in person? If not, get on your knees before Him right now and ask His forgiveness for your sin and rebellion against Him. Then tell Him that you give your life to Him to follow Him as your Lord and Master from this day forward. If you do that, you can know that your name is now recorded down in the Book of Life! Then go and get yourself a copy of the Bible. Start reading the book of John, and obey what you read. I look forward to meeting you in Heaven one of these days!
There's a chorus that says:
"After all He's done for me, After all He's done for me;
"How can I do less than give Him my best, and live for Him completely;
"After all He's done for me."
Almighty God, our Creator, became the Son of God when He chose to become a tiny cell Himself and implanted Himself in the womb of a virgin girl named Mary. Mary, at that time, became a surrogate mother - carrying the embryo of the Creator and King of the universe in her womb!
The Roman Catholics believe that because Mary carried the sinless "Son of God" in her womb - then that means she had to be sinless as well. That is not true as there is only one entity in this world Who is without sin, and that is God Himself - Jesus Christ. The way that Mary was able to still be a sinner but give birth to the sinless Son of God is because of the way God has designed the placenta in a pregnant woman. The placenta blocks the mother's blood from getting to the baby, and only lets the nutrients filter through to feed him/her. Many believe that God somehow had a sexual relationship with Mary to produce "God the Son". That is not true! Just as God was able to form the first Adam from the dust of the earth in Genesis 1-3, He was also able to form the "Second Adam" by wrapping flesh around Himself and implanting Himself as an embryo into Mary's womb.
Because God at this time took on flesh and blood, was born of a human, and was given a human Name, Jesus, He is therefore referred to as "The Son of God". It does not mean that God had a baby boy. It means that God Himself WAS the baby boy, named Jesus!
So, what does this mean to us today? Well, Almighty God, our Creator, made us for the express purpose of having a relationship with Him. Because He is the Creator, He laid down some rules (Commandments) for us to live by. His moral law is summed up in what we call "The Ten Commandments". God says that "we have all sinned" (Romans 3:23). Sin is lawlessness or being without law. (I John 3:4) In other words, every person ever born has broken God's law by disobeying it, rebelling against it, and thereby turning their backs on God Himself. Ask yourself, "Have I ever lied? Have I ever stolen anything - big or little? Have I ever lusted after a man or a woman? (God says you have committed adultery in your heart, if you have.)
Because we have disobeyed and rebelled against Him and His law, turning our backs against Him - He says we have brought His wrath down on ourselves. The penalty for our sin and disobedience is DEATH in the lake of fire. But, because God Almighty loves us so much - He decided to take the suffering and death meant for us, upon Himself so that we could live. If you have ever seen Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of Christ", that really shows how angry God is at our choice to rebel against Him and His goodness to us! We are all in BIG trouble with the God of the universe, because He came back to life after He was crucified - and now stands ready to be our Judge in the Day of Judgment after we die.
At that time, the Book of Life will be opened. Those who have chosen to repent of their sin (turn away from sinning and turning their backs on this world), and have given their lives back to Jesus Christ and chosen to follow Him - their names will be in the Book of Life. John 3:36 says, "He who believes in the Son (that Jesus is God in the flesh) has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son (that Jesus is God in the flesh) shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
If we don't repent of our sins and choose to give our lives to Jesus Christ, there will be a Judgment Day after we die when we will stand before God Almighty - Jesus Christ Himself. At that time, we can try to explain to Him just why we chose to continue to sin against Him - after all He did for us. If we think He is angry at us now, just wait until we see His anger on that Day of Judgment for not caring that He suffered and died for us so that we could have life, along with every good thing that we are enjoying on earth today.
If you should die in your sleep tonight, the next Person you will see when you wake up will be Jesus Christ as your Judge. Are you prepared to meet your God in person? If not, get on your knees before Him right now and ask His forgiveness for your sin and rebellion against Him. Then tell Him that you give your life to Him to follow Him as your Lord and Master from this day forward. If you do that, you can know that your name is now recorded down in the Book of Life! Then go and get yourself a copy of the Bible. Start reading the book of John, and obey what you read. I look forward to meeting you in Heaven one of these days!
There's a chorus that says:
"After all He's done for me, After all He's done for me;
"How can I do less than give Him my best, and live for Him completely;
"After all He's done for me."
Thursday, January 24, 2013
"As For Me and My House, Which God Will We Serve?
Almost all of us have viewed on wall plaques, on signs, and heard preachers preach on the Bible verse, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15) Most don't realize that this verse has MUCH more to it than just that phrase.
In fact, this verse really begins with, "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, CHOOSE for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell."
My question is this: "Does it seem evil to you to serve the Lord?" Everytime we make a choice that goes against God's Word or one of His commandments, we are actually saying to God, "It really seems evil to me, Lord, what You are commanding me to do!" By saying that, we have just put ourselves above God Almighty! Also, at that point, we have just fallen into "Moral Relativism".
Moral Relativism is the belief system in the world today that says there are no absolutes of right or wrong - it is all relative to the situation. As Judges 21:25 says: "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
The problem is that "...it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) Where there is a judgment, there is a "court of law". The Law we all will be judged by are the Ten Commandments of God. Many Christians are being taught by false teachers that God's Moral Law, the Ten Commandments, has been done away with. However, most of these same Christians believe in a judgment. It is illogical thinking that you can have one without the other!
Every decision we make this day, we will be faced with 2 choices: 1) Will we serve and glorify the One True God Almighty - Jesus Christ, or 2) Will we choose to serve the gods "in whose land we dwell?" Well, what ways do we serve "the gods in this land we dwell in?"
I Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." The foods we eat (and the amount of food we eat), does that reflect us as servants of God or servants of this world system? What about the way we dress - does it "seem evil to you to serve the Lord" by not compromising with the styles that this world is offering to you? Does it "seem evil to you to serve the Lord" by choosing to not go to movies that this world is pressuring you to go see? What about video games, the internet, etc. etc.? "Does it seem evil to you to serve the Lord" when God says it is wrong?
Lastly, what about the last commandment given to us by our God, Jesus Christ, to GO and make disciples of all nations...? Does it "seem evil to you to serve the Lord" because He has commanded that you leave your comfort zone to pass out gospel tracts or to speak with someone about the Lord Jesus Christ?
"If it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
(Joshua 24:15)
In fact, this verse really begins with, "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, CHOOSE for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell."
My question is this: "Does it seem evil to you to serve the Lord?" Everytime we make a choice that goes against God's Word or one of His commandments, we are actually saying to God, "It really seems evil to me, Lord, what You are commanding me to do!" By saying that, we have just put ourselves above God Almighty! Also, at that point, we have just fallen into "Moral Relativism".
Moral Relativism is the belief system in the world today that says there are no absolutes of right or wrong - it is all relative to the situation. As Judges 21:25 says: "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
The problem is that "...it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) Where there is a judgment, there is a "court of law". The Law we all will be judged by are the Ten Commandments of God. Many Christians are being taught by false teachers that God's Moral Law, the Ten Commandments, has been done away with. However, most of these same Christians believe in a judgment. It is illogical thinking that you can have one without the other!
Every decision we make this day, we will be faced with 2 choices: 1) Will we serve and glorify the One True God Almighty - Jesus Christ, or 2) Will we choose to serve the gods "in whose land we dwell?" Well, what ways do we serve "the gods in this land we dwell in?"
I Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." The foods we eat (and the amount of food we eat), does that reflect us as servants of God or servants of this world system? What about the way we dress - does it "seem evil to you to serve the Lord" by not compromising with the styles that this world is offering to you? Does it "seem evil to you to serve the Lord" by choosing to not go to movies that this world is pressuring you to go see? What about video games, the internet, etc. etc.? "Does it seem evil to you to serve the Lord" when God says it is wrong?
Lastly, what about the last commandment given to us by our God, Jesus Christ, to GO and make disciples of all nations...? Does it "seem evil to you to serve the Lord" because He has commanded that you leave your comfort zone to pass out gospel tracts or to speak with someone about the Lord Jesus Christ?
"If it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
(Joshua 24:15)
Monday, September 17, 2012
The Link Between Secular Humanism and Christianity's Teaching of "Lawless Grace"
Before I begin this post, I want to make it clear that a person's salvation is not based on their good works or on obeying the Ten Commandments, etc. God's law (the Ten Commandments) was given to show us that we all are sinners - deserving of God's wrath and judgment because of our sin and rebellion against Him.
As Christians who have repented of our sin and given our lives over to the lordship and control of Jesus Christ, we now obey the Ten Commandments as well as other commandments given in the Bible because of our love for Him and for the suffering, punishment, and death He took in our place on the cross. It is now our life's purpose to live our lives to bring glory to God.
However, if as New Testament Christians we say we no longer have to obey God's commands (which is lawless grace, by the way!) - then what is left? Christian Humanism! We are now people who say we are Christians, BUT we live for ourselves and what makes us happy! If it doesn't make ME happy or it interferes with MY life and the plans I have made for MY life - then I just don't have to obey what God is telling ME to do. Christian Humanism!
Let's take God's fourth commandment for example in Exodus 20:8-10: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work...." Here God says, "Don't forget the Sabbath day. Don't forget to keep it holy (set apart from the rest of the world)."
Every Sabbath day (Saturday) we drive to church, we pass churches that are closed. Why? They have chosen to forget God's holy day, the Sabbath! Christians have chosen instead to work on that day or to make others work on that day by going to malls, restaurants, ball games, etc. etc. If you read the rest of Exodus 20:10 it says we are not to make anyone else work on that day as well.
So how does Humanism fit into all of this? Christians today are choosing to make themselves happy instead of making God happy. It's when "my happiness is more important than God's happiness". When we make God the means to our happiness instead of making Him the end, we are practicing Humanism. Somehow our happiness becomes more important to us than our holiness and obedience before God.
As one of the old ministers on the Revival Hymn said, "It's not what you are going to get out of God - it's what He is going to get out of you"! As Christians, our only reason for being is the glory of God!
As Christians who have repented of our sin and given our lives over to the lordship and control of Jesus Christ, we now obey the Ten Commandments as well as other commandments given in the Bible because of our love for Him and for the suffering, punishment, and death He took in our place on the cross. It is now our life's purpose to live our lives to bring glory to God.
However, if as New Testament Christians we say we no longer have to obey God's commands (which is lawless grace, by the way!) - then what is left? Christian Humanism! We are now people who say we are Christians, BUT we live for ourselves and what makes us happy! If it doesn't make ME happy or it interferes with MY life and the plans I have made for MY life - then I just don't have to obey what God is telling ME to do. Christian Humanism!
Let's take God's fourth commandment for example in Exodus 20:8-10: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work...." Here God says, "Don't forget the Sabbath day. Don't forget to keep it holy (set apart from the rest of the world)."
Every Sabbath day (Saturday) we drive to church, we pass churches that are closed. Why? They have chosen to forget God's holy day, the Sabbath! Christians have chosen instead to work on that day or to make others work on that day by going to malls, restaurants, ball games, etc. etc. If you read the rest of Exodus 20:10 it says we are not to make anyone else work on that day as well.
So how does Humanism fit into all of this? Christians today are choosing to make themselves happy instead of making God happy. It's when "my happiness is more important than God's happiness". When we make God the means to our happiness instead of making Him the end, we are practicing Humanism. Somehow our happiness becomes more important to us than our holiness and obedience before God.
As one of the old ministers on the Revival Hymn said, "It's not what you are going to get out of God - it's what He is going to get out of you"! As Christians, our only reason for being is the glory of God!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Passover, Good Friday and The Sign of Jonah
Christianity has for many years taught that Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and arose early on the following Sunday morning (first day of the week). However, Jesus said, "For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights." (Matthew 12:40)
My problem with Good Friday is that Jesus could not have fulfilled the above prophecy because He was only in the grave for two nights and barely two days. Many wonder why this is even important? It's very important because Jesus based His claim to being the Messiah on this prophecy! If He was unable to carry out this prophecy to the exact time, then that meant He was not Who He claimed to be - God Almighty - come in the flesh - the Messiah!
In answer to this century-long debate regarding Good Friday and the Crucifixion, I decided to "Do the Math" for myself. Before we start "doing the math", we need to remember that from the beginnning of Creation, God set up our days to begin from sunset to sunset (not from morning to evening). Given that fact, the first day of the week (Sunday) actually begins after sundown on Saturday night (which is the 7th day weekly
Sabbath Day).
To make this easier to understand, I'm going to do the math backwards - starting with the known fact that Jesus arose on "the first day of the week". Beginning with Saturday night to Friday night (which is the weekly Sabbath day), we have one day that Jesus was in the grave. Friday night to Thursday night counts as the second day, and Thursday night to Wednesday night makes the third day that Jesus was in the "belly of the earth". (Matt. 12:40) This explains the three days, but what about the three nights?
Doing the math backwards in the above paragraph, we now see that Wednesday night was the first night Jesus was in the grave. That would mean that Jesus was crucified sometime on Wednesday. If Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, by going forward we can figure that Wednesday night would be the first night, Thursday would be the second night, and Good Friday would be the third night He was in the grave. This totally "fits" with the above prophecy!!
If you still aren't sure this math is correct, I found something else very interesting that definitely solves this age-old puzzle regarding Good Friday NOT being the day of Christ's crucifixion. In Mark 16:1 it reads, "Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him." Remember, the weekly Sabbath began from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night. My question is: How did the women go shopping "when the Sabbath was past?" It was dark outside and shop owners would be getting ready to go to bed. That made me wonder if there was another Sabbath in that week?
Indeed, there was another sabbath in that week. Leviticus 23:5-7 states: On the 14th day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. And on the 15th day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day (of this Feast), you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it." That was a special sabbath day, a high sabbath day. This was NOT the weekly 7th day Sabbath Day, which is what has confused people for so many centuries!
In other words, Christ was crucified on Passover (Wednesday). The next day, Thursday, was the Feast of Unleavened Bread - a high sabbath day, on which no one was to do any work. Shops were closed. However, when THAT sabbath (Thursday) "was past" - they went shopping and "bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him." The truth is: Good Friday is the day the women went shopping. It was NOT the day Christ was crucified! After they bought the spices, they rested on the 7th day Sabbath (Friday night to Saturday night). Then "very early in the morning, on the first day of the week (Sunday), they came to the tomb..." (Mark 16:1) and of course, Christ was not there because He had already risen!
The "Sign of Jonah" was completed right down to the exact minute: Three days and Three nights in the "heart of the earth". It proves that Jesus Christ is Almighty God, the Creator God, the One Who is coming again to judge both the living and the dead. "Do the Math"! Jesus is Who He claims to be: The Messiah!
My problem with Good Friday is that Jesus could not have fulfilled the above prophecy because He was only in the grave for two nights and barely two days. Many wonder why this is even important? It's very important because Jesus based His claim to being the Messiah on this prophecy! If He was unable to carry out this prophecy to the exact time, then that meant He was not Who He claimed to be - God Almighty - come in the flesh - the Messiah!
In answer to this century-long debate regarding Good Friday and the Crucifixion, I decided to "Do the Math" for myself. Before we start "doing the math", we need to remember that from the beginnning of Creation, God set up our days to begin from sunset to sunset (not from morning to evening). Given that fact, the first day of the week (Sunday) actually begins after sundown on Saturday night (which is the 7th day weekly
Sabbath Day).
To make this easier to understand, I'm going to do the math backwards - starting with the known fact that Jesus arose on "the first day of the week". Beginning with Saturday night to Friday night (which is the weekly Sabbath day), we have one day that Jesus was in the grave. Friday night to Thursday night counts as the second day, and Thursday night to Wednesday night makes the third day that Jesus was in the "belly of the earth". (Matt. 12:40) This explains the three days, but what about the three nights?
Doing the math backwards in the above paragraph, we now see that Wednesday night was the first night Jesus was in the grave. That would mean that Jesus was crucified sometime on Wednesday. If Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, by going forward we can figure that Wednesday night would be the first night, Thursday would be the second night, and Good Friday would be the third night He was in the grave. This totally "fits" with the above prophecy!!
If you still aren't sure this math is correct, I found something else very interesting that definitely solves this age-old puzzle regarding Good Friday NOT being the day of Christ's crucifixion. In Mark 16:1 it reads, "Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him." Remember, the weekly Sabbath began from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night. My question is: How did the women go shopping "when the Sabbath was past?" It was dark outside and shop owners would be getting ready to go to bed. That made me wonder if there was another Sabbath in that week?
Indeed, there was another sabbath in that week. Leviticus 23:5-7 states: On the 14th day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. And on the 15th day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day (of this Feast), you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it." That was a special sabbath day, a high sabbath day. This was NOT the weekly 7th day Sabbath Day, which is what has confused people for so many centuries!
In other words, Christ was crucified on Passover (Wednesday). The next day, Thursday, was the Feast of Unleavened Bread - a high sabbath day, on which no one was to do any work. Shops were closed. However, when THAT sabbath (Thursday) "was past" - they went shopping and "bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him." The truth is: Good Friday is the day the women went shopping. It was NOT the day Christ was crucified! After they bought the spices, they rested on the 7th day Sabbath (Friday night to Saturday night). Then "very early in the morning, on the first day of the week (Sunday), they came to the tomb..." (Mark 16:1) and of course, Christ was not there because He had already risen!
The "Sign of Jonah" was completed right down to the exact minute: Three days and Three nights in the "heart of the earth". It proves that Jesus Christ is Almighty God, the Creator God, the One Who is coming again to judge both the living and the dead. "Do the Math"! Jesus is Who He claims to be: The Messiah!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Book of Life: Is Your Name Blotted Out of It?
Have you ever heard a message preached in your church about having your name "blotted out of the Book of Life"? Well, I am 58 years old and I never have. I guess if we are taught to believe in "lawless grace" - it is always "onced saved, always saved". Right? There's an old hymn that says, "My sins are blotted out, I know...." But it's very interesting that no one preaches that our names can also be blotted out as well!
In Exodus 32:32 & 33 Moses said to God, "Yet now, if You will forgive their sin - but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." And the Lord said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book."
I know that is Old Testament teaching, so for those of you who only believe in the New Testament, let's read Revelation 3:5 where it says, "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life;..." We need to remember that in both of these instances, God was talking to His people. These people had made a choice at one point in their lives to obey and follow Him as their God and Lord. At that point, their names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
If you use your minds to think this through, someone can't have their names "blotted out" of a book, if they are not first "recorded in" a book! In other words, you have to become a Christian to have your name written in the Book of Life. However, according to these verses, once your name is in this Book, it is possible to have your name blotted out of this Book. And, don't we say we believe that "With God all things are possible"?
When Jesus Christ comes again, He is coming again to judge the unrighteous and to set up His kingdom here on earth. According to Revelation 20:11, there will be a great white throne and
Jesus Christ will be sitting on it. In verse 12, it says "And I (John) saw the dead small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books." Verse 15 says, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
Those of us who are Christians can remember the day that we turned the control of our lives over to Jesus Christ, promising to live for Him because He had suffered and died for us. At that point in time, we passed from death to life - and our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life. If you are reading this and are not a Christian, find someone you know who is and ask them how you can know that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
In conclusion, let us remember as Hebrews 10:26-31 says, it is possible to "trample the Son of God underfoot, counting the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified a common thing, and insulting the Spirit of grace." Heb. 10:30 and 31 says, "The Lord will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Let us make sure every day that we have turned the control of our lives over to God (Jesus Christ) and are living in obedience to Him and His Word revealed to us in the Bible.
In Exodus 32:32 & 33 Moses said to God, "Yet now, if You will forgive their sin - but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." And the Lord said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book."
I know that is Old Testament teaching, so for those of you who only believe in the New Testament, let's read Revelation 3:5 where it says, "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life;..." We need to remember that in both of these instances, God was talking to His people. These people had made a choice at one point in their lives to obey and follow Him as their God and Lord. At that point, their names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
If you use your minds to think this through, someone can't have their names "blotted out" of a book, if they are not first "recorded in" a book! In other words, you have to become a Christian to have your name written in the Book of Life. However, according to these verses, once your name is in this Book, it is possible to have your name blotted out of this Book. And, don't we say we believe that "With God all things are possible"?
When Jesus Christ comes again, He is coming again to judge the unrighteous and to set up His kingdom here on earth. According to Revelation 20:11, there will be a great white throne and
Jesus Christ will be sitting on it. In verse 12, it says "And I (John) saw the dead small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books." Verse 15 says, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
Those of us who are Christians can remember the day that we turned the control of our lives over to Jesus Christ, promising to live for Him because He had suffered and died for us. At that point in time, we passed from death to life - and our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life. If you are reading this and are not a Christian, find someone you know who is and ask them how you can know that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
In conclusion, let us remember as Hebrews 10:26-31 says, it is possible to "trample the Son of God underfoot, counting the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified a common thing, and insulting the Spirit of grace." Heb. 10:30 and 31 says, "The Lord will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Let us make sure every day that we have turned the control of our lives over to God (Jesus Christ) and are living in obedience to Him and His Word revealed to us in the Bible.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Apostasy and Fearless Grace
I felt the need to do this post on "Fearless Grace" because it goes right along with "Lawless Grace". Prov. 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge". It seems once we take away the "fear of the Lord", it becomes relatively simple to then start taking away His laws. If we believe that God's grace saved us once and for all through the blood of Jesus Christ - then we no longer need to worry about being obedient to His laws. You know, "Once saved - always saved". Right? Well, maybe not.
I found a little phrase in Hebrews 10:29 that kind of bothers me, and maybe it should bother you as well. It says that we can be guilty of "insulting the Spirit of grace". How do we do that? By "counting the blood of the covenant by which we are sanctified a common thing." God said, "Vengeance is Mine. I will repay". (vs. 30) And again, "The Lord will judge His people." (vs. 30) In verse 31 it says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Since these verses are talking to God's people, why then would God be telling His people to be fearful of Him if grace will cover His people - no matter whether we are obedient or disobedient?
When we remove the fear of the Lord from our lives, we think we don't have to worry about being obedient to His laws. You see, it was because of the law - the covenant, that Jesus died for us. So when we treat the law of the covenant as a "common thing" - we are "trampling underfoot the Son of God". (Heb. 10:29) Also, when we remove the fear of the Lord from our lives, we have no urgency to tell others about Jesus Christ and the need to be saved from the fires of hell. We have been so deceived into believing that God is only a God of love, and therefore, we have nothing to fear! We then become lukewarm, complacent, and become compromising with the world system.
Philippians 2:12 says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." The two previous verses tell us why. Because "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow...and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord." Obedience and the fear of the Lord go together. Christians - Wake up! There is a Judgment Day coming both for the saved and the unsaved. Let's stop "insulting the Spirit of Grace".
I found a little phrase in Hebrews 10:29 that kind of bothers me, and maybe it should bother you as well. It says that we can be guilty of "insulting the Spirit of grace". How do we do that? By "counting the blood of the covenant by which we are sanctified a common thing." God said, "Vengeance is Mine. I will repay". (vs. 30) And again, "The Lord will judge His people." (vs. 30) In verse 31 it says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Since these verses are talking to God's people, why then would God be telling His people to be fearful of Him if grace will cover His people - no matter whether we are obedient or disobedient?
When we remove the fear of the Lord from our lives, we think we don't have to worry about being obedient to His laws. You see, it was because of the law - the covenant, that Jesus died for us. So when we treat the law of the covenant as a "common thing" - we are "trampling underfoot the Son of God". (Heb. 10:29) Also, when we remove the fear of the Lord from our lives, we have no urgency to tell others about Jesus Christ and the need to be saved from the fires of hell. We have been so deceived into believing that God is only a God of love, and therefore, we have nothing to fear! We then become lukewarm, complacent, and become compromising with the world system.
Philippians 2:12 says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." The two previous verses tell us why. Because "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow...and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord." Obedience and the fear of the Lord go together. Christians - Wake up! There is a Judgment Day coming both for the saved and the unsaved. Let's stop "insulting the Spirit of Grace".
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Sin Is Lawlessness
If you are an evangelical, Bible-believing Christian - then you have heard many times from the pulpit that we are to "confess our sin" as part of our salvation experience. However, how often have we heard the explanation of "sin"? We're told we are sinners, but what is sin?
One day as I was spending time in the Bible, I came across I John 3:4 "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." (NKJV) In order for there to be "lawlessness" - there must first be a "law". What laws are we guilty of breaking in order for us to be considered sinners in God's sight? Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) The 10 Commandments are part of God's Law that are still to be obeyed today.
The problem is that Christians today are being taught through various sources that God's law has been done away with because of God's grace. It's true that we are saved by God's grace through the blood of Jesus Christ, but in no way has that done away with God's law. If that were true, then God would be guilty of not only going against His own Word, but also guilty of advocating anarchy, rebelliousness, being law-breakers, etc. God would be saying, "It is OK to steal, to murder, to commit adultery, to covet, to not honor the seventh-day Sabbath, to dishonor your parents, to bow down to idols, to lie, to worship other gods, and to take God's Name in vain."
When someone who is convicted of speeding has someone pay his fine, that in no way means that the speed limit signs have now been "done away with". He is still expected TO OBEY the law. He is now expected to be a "Law-Keeper". There is a Judgment Day coming for believers and unbelievers. I have yet to see a court room with a judge - but no law. All of us will stand before God, the Judge, on Judgment Day and His Law will be The Standard for whether we are found obedient to His commands or whether we are found guilty of "lawlessness".
One day as I was spending time in the Bible, I came across I John 3:4 "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." (NKJV) In order for there to be "lawlessness" - there must first be a "law". What laws are we guilty of breaking in order for us to be considered sinners in God's sight? Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) The 10 Commandments are part of God's Law that are still to be obeyed today.
The problem is that Christians today are being taught through various sources that God's law has been done away with because of God's grace. It's true that we are saved by God's grace through the blood of Jesus Christ, but in no way has that done away with God's law. If that were true, then God would be guilty of not only going against His own Word, but also guilty of advocating anarchy, rebelliousness, being law-breakers, etc. God would be saying, "It is OK to steal, to murder, to commit adultery, to covet, to not honor the seventh-day Sabbath, to dishonor your parents, to bow down to idols, to lie, to worship other gods, and to take God's Name in vain."
When someone who is convicted of speeding has someone pay his fine, that in no way means that the speed limit signs have now been "done away with". He is still expected TO OBEY the law. He is now expected to be a "Law-Keeper". There is a Judgment Day coming for believers and unbelievers. I have yet to see a court room with a judge - but no law. All of us will stand before God, the Judge, on Judgment Day and His Law will be The Standard for whether we are found obedient to His commands or whether we are found guilty of "lawlessness".
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