If pretrib believers be correct, then those of us that believe Jesus returns in the clouds "after"the tribulation..it would be a nice surprise. However, should post trib believers be correct, then pretrib believers will be caught off guard, possibly being deceived by the anti christ, and/ or being unprepared, will suffer great consequence.
Read Matthew 24. And specifically verses 29-30. These are Jesus' very words when asked about the end times. He specifically says that AFTER the tribulation the sun and moon are darkened and that the son of man appears coming in the clouds.
No where does the Bible say that the elect (believers or the saved) will not suffer tribulation. In fact it tells us that the elect WILL suffer tribulation verse 9. Do not mistake or confuse "tribulation"with "Gods wrath". They are not the same.
Jimbob explains it well. And I agree pretrib is one of the greatest deceptions of our times.
When we abide in the Christian doctrine, we give PROOF of the REALITY of our FAITH. Without our righteousness, we will also suffer the loss of opportunity to glorify God. When thinking or behaving unrighteously, we violate our reason for existence, which is to glorify God in everything ( 1Co 10:31). Instead of exalting Him, we bring reproach on His name. Instead of causing others to see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven ( Mt 5:16), we breed confusion and mockery among unbelievers and we become further obstacles to their salvation.
There are two truly important subjects that many people get wrong on this site, and the pre-tribulation rapture is one of them Richard. I don't mean to offend here but there are no scriptures to support Jesus Christ Coming in the clouds (before) the tribulation.
Noone should ever believe in something this important because it's what they've been taught from other men, but sadly many today are doing just that.
Would you mind please showing us using scripture the reason you believe Jesus comes back in the clouds (before) the tribulation period?
Please don't just read this but think about this. The Truth matters always, but in this case, if there is no rapture (before) the tribulation many pre-trib rapture believers would be deceived by the anti-christ when he sits in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God, he will shew great signs and wonders, in another verse it says with all power and signs and lying wonders. This will be a time of great DECEPTION!
Many people will be deceived by him and believe he is Jesus Christ.
This is a very important part of scripture to see Truth before its to late. And by the looks of things in this world right now, that's going to be really soon.
Your thinking is from a human perspective,not from GOD's perspective. JESUS said: Luke 21:24-And they(the Jews-Israel)shall fall by the edge of the sword,and shall be led away captive into all nations(this part of the verse literally fulfilled against Israel, from 70 to 1948, 1878 years of severe curses and punishments,and plagues- Deuteronomy 28:15-63):and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles(this part of prophecy will literally fulfill in days to come,also according to the Revelation 11:2)until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Matthew 24:15 -When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,spoken of by Daniel the prophet( Daniel 12:6-12),stand in the holy place,(whoso readeth,let him understand)
Daniel 12:6-12
6And one said to the man clothed in linen,which was upon the waters of the river,How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
7And I heard the man clothed in linen,which was upon the waters of the river,when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven,and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time,times,and an half;and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people,all these things shall be finished.
8And I heard,but I understood not:then said I,O my Lord,what shall be the end of these things?
9And he said,Go thy way,Daniel:for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the END.
10Many shall be PURIFIED,and made WHITE,and TRIED;but the wicked shall do wickedly:and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
11And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away (Jesus' sacrifice has already lasted 738,300 days,and now will be taken away),and the abomination that maketh desolate set up(in the midst of the last week of years),there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.(END of this current world of Devil)
12Blessed is he that waiteth,and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
Well said brother, likewise reckon, we should think or consider and live a life as if we are dead to sin. Some take it as it is a one-time deal, and they are good to go. But is it conditional? If we are conditionally accepted there is something on our part, we must do to be accepted. Our faith, like Abraham, is that God is the only true God and He can and will reward us. We must choose to come to Him on His terms or continue in the ways of the world and if we do we will receive the gift of faith from God, His calling.
What must we do? We are all sinners in need of God's mercy, or our sins will remain, not forgiven, blotted out, or paid for unless we come to repentance as we are commanded to, Acts 17:30. If we obey we will enter His mercy, and our sins will be blotted out, Prov.28:13 Is. 55:7 1 John 1:9Acts 3:19. Our past sins that separated us from God, Is. 59:1-2.
With repentance and confession, we are no longer separated from God, no longer under condemnation we enter justification, made right with God we enter the presence of the Lord, Acts 3:19. Baptized into Christ we begin a relationship through the Holy Spirit to all who obey and repent, Acts 2:38.
To remain in justification, we must continue to follow the lead He provides through the Holy Spirit, Rom. 8:1Rom 8:12-14. While we remain in Justification and repentance Jesus continues to cover by His blood the penalty for sins we commit, 1 John 1:7.
Paul, we know was chosen by Jesus and he was filled with the Holy Spirit, but he said even he could be a castaway, 1 Cor. 9:25-27. Even with the seal of the earnest of the Holy Spirit, a downpayment is for what we are at that time, if we fall back, it can be forfeited if we are not willing to remain repentant. If we choose to walk by the flesh and not after the Spirit we return to condemnation and we will perish, John 15:6 the word IF, we will have to pay the penalty for sin ourselves, Rev. 21:8.
You are correct, there is no 7 year great tribulation; the word does tell us, the great tribulation lasted from the time Christ entered the garden till he DIED on the cross.
Christ has already come the second time, as a thief in the night, you don't see the thief?
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered for the SINS of many, and to those who look for him he shall APPEAR THE SECOND TIME without SIN unto SALVATION.
John 16:7 For I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter WILL NOT COME unto you, but if I depart, I will sent him to you.
John 15:26 ....but when the Comforter IS COME ....... even the SPIRIT of TRUTH ..... he will testify of me ......
Colossians 1:27 ..... this mystery ..... Christ ON YOU ......
only a few are living fully surrendered?.. you don't know this to be true.. do you recall what God said to Elijah?.. go read it, I have reserved unto me.................. how many? that have not bowed a knee to baal.. there is no pre trib ""rapture".. go study pal, forget what the evangelical political rhetoric has caused you to misunderstand. Peace and love in Christ.
It doesn't drag me down, but does concern me when unbelievers stumble into these churches which have become so carnal that the unbeliever doesn't see much difference between the Christian and regular unbelievers. The bible the very WORDS OF GOD says this and that and they witness it being IGNORED or explained away since it was inconvenient to follow.
I am just a voice crying out in the wilderness... A conscience if you will. Letting people know to prepare for judgment. For it will start in the house of God. A lot of people in the Church "think they are saved." So great is Satan's power of deception that the tares truly suppose themselves to be Children of the kingdom!
Paul urges all those claiming to be spiritually saved to "examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves"
2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV) 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
[[[When we abide in the Christian doctrine, we give PROOF of the REALITY of our faith.]]] So it makes me really question the salvation of these Western Christian women who don't submit to their husbands, and the majority honestly probably don't."
I can't tell you the enormous amounts of pushback I get from both "Christian" men and women on Ephesians 5 and even more pushback on 1 Corinthians 11 "head coverings during corporate worship whenever I bring it up.
Usually, the go-to scripture for these feminist Christians is Galatians 3:28.
Paul urges all those claiming to be spiritually saved to "examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; TEST yourselves."
2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
I discussed the other day about the Rosh Hashanah last trump concept that made it plausible that the Rapture would be this weekend. Clearly it went by again with no Rapture.
When we look at various events in scripture; we see the surprise element. Surely those watchmen who are asleep or not preparing others will be surprised when He comes (as many will be watching on high holidays such as this and Pentecost).
( Luke 12:35-40). The enemy camp is taken easiest this way in a successful ambush. Watching and waiting with patience is more than a one or two day spectator sport. It does seem that SOME warning comes before the bridegroom arrives ( Matt. 25:6); although some say this is deliverance perhaps before the second coming or even the midpoint of the Tribulation for the Jews or those on earth at that time. In any event; the idea that the Lord delays His coming brings laziness and sin ( Matthew 24:48-51) and results it appears becoming a statistic stuck in the Tribulation at best in verse 51 if not lost forever.
I am a Pre Trib person because it seems clear to me DECADES ago the enemy could have taken over the whole world and certainly we are on "borrowed time" today; the "restrainer" in 2 Thess. 2:6 has to be the Spirit working through the church.
The fact that only a few are really living fully surrendered today shows why in large part the salt and light has reduced to allow the level of ecil we see widespread today. This is in the world as expected but in the Laodicean church that typifies Western churches and that of many other countries in the world today.
Let us continue to warn others to flee the wrath to come ( Luke 3:7); whether it be imminent unexpected death or being stuck in the Tribulation. Remember that Christ comes as a thief to take His precious treasure ( 1 Thess. 5:2; Malachi 3:17). A thief such as this doesn't care about the profane; just the sacred objects of His affection.
Try not to let it drag you down , we can only be responsible for ourselves and it's hard enough keeping our own feet on the straight and narrow . 1st Kings Ch 19 V 9-18 .
Hi Jennhenry , I dye my hair , I dye it back to its original colour as my hair is going white . I've been doing that since my late forties . I'm sure it's a vanity on my part and I'm resolved to stop doing it eventually . I also draw my eyebrows in a bit and use mascara , some years ago I had chemotherapy and lost all my hair , it grew back but no where near as thick as it used to be so my eyebrows and eyelashes are very sparse and faint . I don't wear any other make up .
Please pray i can find a good Bible believing Church that doesnt cancel services at night.I got all ready for church tonite and got a ride and everything and they had canceled the service ,this is the second time i went to a lot of trouble to come and had my time wasted.I am somewhat ill and this really saddens me when i make a point to be ready to put the Lord first .
Actually, there is no 7 year tribulation period. I mean, it doesn't really matter how long it is, but nowhere does it specify 7 years. Common, "misunderstanding".. one day equals a year in the prophetic, as we see in the 70 weeks concerning the messiah.. Jesus of course. Not meaning this argumentative in any way either.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR, AND HATE THINE ENEMY.
But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
( THERE'S THE CONTEXT! )
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Christ is giving an distinction between the days of old under the law and the coming Kingdom.
However here's much said about perfect love in 1 John 4:6-21
John Speaks much on this.
Here's a few verses from 1 John.
4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
4:10 "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
4:12 "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:21 is my favorite.
"And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also".
Did you notice it doesn't say "he who loveth God "SHOULD" love his brother also?
Loving your brother is a condition that the Holyspirit causes when one truly loves God.
Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Absolutely. 1 Peter 3:3-4 As today, society's focus is on outward beauty. Such beauty was achieved in fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, and beautiful clothes. But Peter contrasted putting beautiful "things" on the outside to make oneself beautiful, versus revealing the natural inner beauty that a Christian woman should have because of Christ.
This passage teaches that women should not count on their beauty coming from outward adornments, not that women can't braid their hair or wear gold jewelry or nice clothes. (Paul wrote almost the exact words to the women in the Ephesian church; see 1 Ti 2:9-10.) Christian women should not be obsessed by fashion or overly concerned with their outward appearance. On the other hand, neither should they be so unconcerned that they do not bother to care for themselves. Beauty and adornments have their place, but they must be kept in proper perspective. Christian women should let their beauty come from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Their beauty should come from their personality, and the attitudes, thoughts, and motivations that are revealed in words and actions. For believers, this inner self has been transformed by the Holy Spirit. To be "gentle" means showing humility, consideration of others, not insisting on one's own rights, not being pushy or overly assertive (see also Gal 5:23). To be "quiet" refers to the same attitude as that described by "gentle," also focusing on not causing dissensions with inappropriate words or gossip.
Thank you for your response, your words of encouragement mean a lot to me, as well all the relevant scripture regarding worshiping God in Spirit and Truth, and overcoming sin. I agree with all, and if we our honest with ourselves and take the time to evaluate our true walk with Christ we should be conforming to the scripture you mentioned such as 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 1 John 1:5-6 and if born again should have a mind like Christ 1 Corinthians 2:16
Scripture tells us we can have a mind like Christ! Not conformed to this world, but have renewed minds, and prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God Romans 12:2 Sinning is not acceptable to God, and for Christians to maintain the steady drum beat that they can't stop sinning is unbelievable per all of the scripture telling us that we are required STOP sinning, even including Jesus telling us that with Faith nothing is impossible for us! Matt 17:20
We are supposed to be as HOLY as Jesus and walk like him.Through the Spirit of God we CAN stop sinning. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 1 John 2:6 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. Matthew 12:50 The Bible emphasises several times that we are supposed to be holy:Ye shall be holy: for I theLordyour God am holy. Leviticus 19:2
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matt 5:48 Frankie, I think we can both agree that being perfect is without sin. But the multitude of worldly Christains say they can't ever be perfect and will always be sinners in this life - so they are saying Jesus/God is lying in Matt 5:48 and they are not accepting this Truth!
Paul Apostle in his wisdom, wrote :1 Corintians 2:7-10
7 But we speak the wisdom of GOD in a mystery, even the HIDDEN wisdom, which GOD ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which GOD hath prepared for them that love Him.
10 But GOD hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of GOD. (Even the hidden wisdom and mystery of His Plan of restitution of all things,the Genesis,describing His works of restoration of creation - Acts 3:18-24. As JESUS said when He came in the fourth Day: My Father worketh hitherto, and I work- John 5:17,(in fulfillment of Genesis 1:26: Let us make man in OUR image, after our likeness:... JESUS being the brightness of His glory, and the EXPRESS IMAGE of GOD's PERSON... Hebrews 1:3
Finding new life in the local Body of Christ and looking elsewhere: A balanced perspective.
Recently; one of our laypersons who is a relatively new attendee of our church boldly asked some musicians "when are you going to play Christian music?" These musicians were supposedly part of a worship team in another church and were so insulted by that they decided not to show up at the next event they were invited to.
I bring this up to show how crucial it is for us to have a jealousy for God; and also to bring up the point that if our Pastor was more concerned about his reputation than he health of his congregation he wouldn't have brought it up himself; or apologized for the last time I walked out of a concert as for the quality of the message in the music. Personally I think he needs to fire the guy who is directing the decisions of bands invited for social events. My point here is that in many lukewarm churches no one would really care very much about these issues. Therefore in my situation since the preaching is of sound doctrine I am working through issues such as weakness in significant prayer; worldliness and other issues rather than bailing out for another church. I have seen the commitment people have to handing out Gospel literature; visiting the elderly and in visiting me in the hospital after I had an extended stay recently. There have been small groups where deep discussion on doctrinal matters are hashed out; seeing genuine commitment to the Lord.
We all need to examine things as to where God wants us to fellowship and if we see doctrinal error especially we need to take take time for prayer and if possible challenge those in leadership first. Then we should leave if the Lord makes it clear things are not changing; and bring others out possibly starting our own Bible Study or prayer group until someone finds a good church home. These things are always better when others are with us to help us find an new church home.
THE RED SEA AND THE RED DRAGON.PUT THIS IN YOUR MIND
You all know that the Hebrews had to cross the Red Sea,and walk through a desert,walk until they got to the Promised Land after 40 years of peregrination/pilgrimage.What about GOD's people now, even in this current time?
Now GOD's people,members of Christ's body,will have to go through (I mean win a war)against the Red Dragon,that's exactly it,a Red Dragon yes, this is no coincidence,it was predicted millennia ago. He's a false messiah who will soon manifest,just ahead,with great signs of lying,he will manifest in Israel as a lamb with two horns,he's a Jew,of course,and he will speak like a Dragon. Revelation 12.3-17 and Revelation 13:11-18.
Let's get ready to go through this not easy FINAL journey of GOD's people here until the glorious,marvelous,and day of exceedingly joy - day 1335.Remembering and understanding that the departure of the Hebrew people from Egypt was not without first having taken place a battle against Pharaoh(by the way,there and now is the same,it's Satan himself),and when the march began for the departure of GOD's people from Egypt,then the enemy army persecuted the Hebrews,the same will happen now,initially the persecution will be by the man Beast of the sea,it is he who will first persecute the Christian believers- Revelation 13:5-for 42 months,that is the first half of the last week,the week 70th Dan.9:27.This POINT is only and only the half of the way-3,5 years or 42 months,the GOD's people will need to march more 3,5 years,so the march will last 7 years,it will not be easy this journey of course.
Again: Let's get ready to go through this not easy FINAL journey of GOD's people here until the glorious, marvelous,and day of exceendigly joy-day 1335.Amen
JESUS in His prayer to the Father, said: Jn 17:15-I pray not that thou take them out of the world,but that thou keep them from the evil.
Blessed are the meek:for they shall inherit the earth.Mat.5:5
>The word of God cuts both ways, a two edged sword.
>How many husbands love their wives as CHRIST loves the church ..... probably NONE.
>The word says you are the WIFE of Christ, so these scripture of a wife submitting to her
>HUSBAND apply as much to you as to any earthly wife.
Your original meaning and intent were clear. You obviously meant that by presenting Christian women with the need to submit, then the "husband" is in the corporate body hence he is metaphorically described as the bride and the wife now places him in the position to submit as does the wife in the marriage relationship. That is against the divine order found in 1 Corinthians 11:3 and contrary to what Ephesians 5 is even stating. What you were attempting to do was blasphemous!
Even though the corporate body of believers, is metaphorically described as the "bride" or "wife" of Christ to symbolize our deep spiritual union and devotion to Him, this metaphor DOES NOT extend or CONTRADICT the commands regarding marital roles. The submission of wives to husbands and the love of husbands for their wives, as described in Ephesians 5, are SPECIFIC instructions for how husbands and wives should relate to each other within the marriage covenant.
Our spiritual relationship with Christ is indeed a profound and personal one, characterized by faith, love, and devotion, but it doesn't prescribe the same roles and dynamics as those within a marital relationship. Therefore, while we are spiritually connected to Christ as His followers, the commands related to marital roles are distinct and apply within the context of marriage, as outlined in Ephesians 5:22-25.
It's essential to interpret and apply biblical principles in their intended context. Ephesians 5:22-25 addresses the ROLES and RESPONSIBIlITIES of husbands and wives within marriage, using the metaphor of Christ and the Church to illustrate these roles, but this metaphor doesn't change the specific commands for marital relationships.
If pretrib believers be correct, then those of us that believe Jesus returns in the clouds "after"the tribulation..it would be a nice surprise. However, should post trib believers be correct, then pretrib believers will be caught off guard, possibly being deceived by the anti christ, and/ or being unprepared, will suffer great consequence.
Read Matthew 24. And specifically verses 29-30. These are Jesus' very words when asked about the end times. He specifically says that AFTER the tribulation the sun and moon are darkened and that the son of man appears coming in the clouds.
No where does the Bible say that the elect (believers or the saved) will not suffer tribulation. In fact it tells us that the elect WILL suffer tribulation verse 9. Do not mistake or confuse "tribulation"with "Gods wrath". They are not the same.
Jimbob explains it well. And I agree pretrib is one of the greatest deceptions of our times.
Gods Word is True, Jesus is the Truth
There are two truly important subjects that many people get wrong on this site, and the pre-tribulation rapture is one of them Richard. I don't mean to offend here but there are no scriptures to support Jesus Christ Coming in the clouds (before) the tribulation.
Noone should ever believe in something this important because it's what they've been taught from other men, but sadly many today are doing just that.
Would you mind please showing us using scripture the reason you believe Jesus comes back in the clouds (before) the tribulation period?
Please don't just read this but think about this. The Truth matters always, but in this case, if there is no rapture (before) the tribulation many pre-trib rapture believers would be deceived by the anti-christ when he sits in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God, he will shew great signs and wonders, in another verse it says with all power and signs and lying wonders. This will be a time of great DECEPTION!
Many people will be deceived by him and believe he is Jesus Christ.
This is a very important part of scripture to see Truth before its to late. And by the looks of things in this world right now, that's going to be really soon.
Blessings to you Richard.
Your thinking is from a human perspective,not from GOD's perspective. JESUS said: Luke 21:24-And they(the Jews-Israel)shall fall by the edge of the sword,and shall be led away captive into all nations(this part of the verse literally fulfilled against Israel, from 70 to 1948, 1878 years of severe curses and punishments,and plagues- Deuteronomy 28:15-63):and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles(this part of prophecy will literally fulfill in days to come,also according to the Revelation 11:2)until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Matthew 24:15 -When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,spoken of by Daniel the prophet( Daniel 12:6-12),stand in the holy place,(whoso readeth,let him understand)
Daniel 12:6-12
6And one said to the man clothed in linen,which was upon the waters of the river,How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
7And I heard the man clothed in linen,which was upon the waters of the river,when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven,and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time,times,and an half;and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people,all these things shall be finished.
8And I heard,but I understood not:then said I,O my Lord,what shall be the end of these things?
9And he said,Go thy way,Daniel:for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the END.
10Many shall be PURIFIED,and made WHITE,and TRIED;but the wicked shall do wickedly:and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
11And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away (Jesus' sacrifice has already lasted 738,300 days,and now will be taken away),and the abomination that maketh desolate set up(in the midst of the last week of years),there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.(END of this current world of Devil)
12Blessed is he that waiteth,and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
One is not spiritually saved, one is physically save.
Your saved from DEATH, the gift of God is eternal (IMMORTAL) LIFE.
1 Timothy 6:16 Christ ONLY hath IMMORTAL LIFE----your physically married (made ONE) with Christ.
God BLESS YOU!
Well said brother, likewise reckon, we should think or consider and live a life as if we are dead to sin. Some take it as it is a one-time deal, and they are good to go. But is it conditional? If we are conditionally accepted there is something on our part, we must do to be accepted. Our faith, like Abraham, is that God is the only true God and He can and will reward us. We must choose to come to Him on His terms or continue in the ways of the world and if we do we will receive the gift of faith from God, His calling.
What must we do? We are all sinners in need of God's mercy, or our sins will remain, not forgiven, blotted out, or paid for unless we come to repentance as we are commanded to, Acts 17:30. If we obey we will enter His mercy, and our sins will be blotted out, Prov.28:13 Is. 55:7 1 John 1:9 Acts 3:19. Our past sins that separated us from God, Is. 59:1-2.
With repentance and confession, we are no longer separated from God, no longer under condemnation we enter justification, made right with God we enter the presence of the Lord, Acts 3:19. Baptized into Christ we begin a relationship through the Holy Spirit to all who obey and repent, Acts 2:38.
To remain in justification, we must continue to follow the lead He provides through the Holy Spirit, Rom. 8:1 Rom 8:12-14. While we remain in Justification and repentance Jesus continues to cover by His blood the penalty for sins we commit, 1 John 1:7.
Paul, we know was chosen by Jesus and he was filled with the Holy Spirit, but he said even he could be a castaway, 1 Cor. 9:25-27. Even with the seal of the earnest of the Holy Spirit, a downpayment is for what we are at that time, if we fall back, it can be forfeited if we are not willing to remain repentant. If we choose to walk by the flesh and not after the Spirit we return to condemnation and we will perish, John 15:6 the word IF, we will have to pay the penalty for sin ourselves, Rev. 21:8.
Just my understanding.
God bless,
RLW
I meant Frankie.
It's getting late.
How about another day.
God bless
You are correct, there is no 7 year great tribulation; the word does tell us, the great tribulation lasted from the time Christ entered the garden till he DIED on the cross.
God Bless YOU!
Christ has already come the second time, as a thief in the night, you don't see the thief?
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered for the SINS of many, and to those who look for him he shall APPEAR THE SECOND TIME without SIN unto SALVATION.
John 16:7 For I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter WILL NOT COME unto you, but if I depart, I will sent him to you.
John 15:26 ....but when the Comforter IS COME ....... even the SPIRIT of TRUTH ..... he will testify of me ......
Colossians 1:27 ..... this mystery ..... Christ ON YOU ......
God Bless YOU!
I am just a voice crying out in the wilderness... A conscience if you will. Letting people know to prepare for judgment. For it will start in the house of God. A lot of people in the Church "think they are saved." So great is Satan's power of deception that the tares truly suppose themselves to be Children of the kingdom!
Paul urges all those claiming to be spiritually saved to "examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves"
2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV) 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
I can't tell you the enormous amounts of pushback I get from both "Christian" men and women on Ephesians 5 and even more pushback on 1 Corinthians 11 "head coverings during corporate worship whenever I bring it up.
Usually, the go-to scripture for these feminist Christians is Galatians 3:28.
Paul urges all those claiming to be spiritually saved to "examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; TEST yourselves."
2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
I don't see where what I describe takes it out of context of your statement, but the fulfillment of it.
the same word is used in James 1:4
Friend
shall I present more before you, & would you hear it then?
Grace & Peace to you
I discussed the other day about the Rosh Hashanah last trump concept that made it plausible that the Rapture would be this weekend. Clearly it went by again with no Rapture.
When we look at various events in scripture; we see the surprise element. Surely those watchmen who are asleep or not preparing others will be surprised when He comes (as many will be watching on high holidays such as this and Pentecost).
( Luke 12:35-40). The enemy camp is taken easiest this way in a successful ambush. Watching and waiting with patience is more than a one or two day spectator sport. It does seem that SOME warning comes before the bridegroom arrives ( Matt. 25:6); although some say this is deliverance perhaps before the second coming or even the midpoint of the Tribulation for the Jews or those on earth at that time. In any event; the idea that the Lord delays His coming brings laziness and sin ( Matthew 24:48-51) and results it appears becoming a statistic stuck in the Tribulation at best in verse 51 if not lost forever.
I am a Pre Trib person because it seems clear to me DECADES ago the enemy could have taken over the whole world and certainly we are on "borrowed time" today; the "restrainer" in 2 Thess. 2:6 has to be the Spirit working through the church.
The fact that only a few are really living fully surrendered today shows why in large part the salt and light has reduced to allow the level of ecil we see widespread today. This is in the world as expected but in the Laodicean church that typifies Western churches and that of many other countries in the world today.
Let us continue to warn others to flee the wrath to come ( Luke 3:7); whether it be imminent unexpected death or being stuck in the Tribulation. Remember that Christ comes as a thief to take His precious treasure ( 1 Thess. 5:2; Malachi 3:17). A thief such as this doesn't care about the profane; just the sacred objects of His affection.
Agape.
GBU.
Let's put Matthew 5:48 in its context.
Matthew 5:43-48.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR, AND HATE THINE ENEMY.
But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
( THERE'S THE CONTEXT! )
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Christ is giving an distinction between the days of old under the law and the coming Kingdom.
However here's much said about perfect love in 1 John 4:6-21
John Speaks much on this.
Here's a few verses from 1 John.
4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
4:10 "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
4:12 "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:21 is my favorite.
"And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also".
Did you notice it doesn't say "he who loveth God "SHOULD" love his brother also?
Loving your brother is a condition that the Holyspirit causes when one truly loves God.
Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
God bless
This passage teaches that women should not count on their beauty coming from outward adornments, not that women can't braid their hair or wear gold jewelry or nice clothes. (Paul wrote almost the exact words to the women in the Ephesian church; see 1 Ti 2:9-10.) Christian women should not be obsessed by fashion or overly concerned with their outward appearance. On the other hand, neither should they be so unconcerned that they do not bother to care for themselves. Beauty and adornments have their place, but they must be kept in proper perspective. Christian women should let their beauty come from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Their beauty should come from their personality, and the attitudes, thoughts, and motivations that are revealed in words and actions. For believers, this inner self has been transformed by the Holy Spirit. To be "gentle" means showing humility, consideration of others, not insisting on one's own rights, not being pushy or overly assertive (see also Gal 5:23). To be "quiet" refers to the same attitude as that described by "gentle," also focusing on not causing dissensions with inappropriate words or gossip.
Thank you for your response, your words of encouragement mean a lot to me, as well all the relevant scripture regarding worshiping God in Spirit and Truth, and overcoming sin. I agree with all, and if we our honest with ourselves and take the time to evaluate our true walk with Christ we should be conforming to the scripture you mentioned such as 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 1 John 1:5-6 and if born again should have a mind like Christ 1 Corinthians 2:16
Scripture tells us we can have a mind like Christ! Not conformed to this world, but have renewed minds, and prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God Romans 12:2 Sinning is not acceptable to God, and for Christians to maintain the steady drum beat that they can't stop sinning is unbelievable per all of the scripture telling us that we are required STOP sinning, even including Jesus telling us that with Faith nothing is impossible for us! Matt 17:20
We are supposed to be as HOLY as Jesus and walk like him.Through the Spirit of God we CAN stop sinning. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 1 John 2:6 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. Matthew 12:50 The Bible emphasises several times that we are supposed to be holy:Ye shall be holy: for I theLordyour God am holy. Leviticus 19:2
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matt 5:48 Frankie, I think we can both agree that being perfect is without sin. But the multitude of worldly Christains say they can't ever be perfect and will always be sinners in this life - so they are saying Jesus/God is lying in Matt 5:48 and they are not accepting this Truth!
GBU
God bless you.
God bless.
Paul Apostle in his wisdom, wrote :1 Corintians 2:7-10
7 But we speak the wisdom of GOD in a mystery, even the HIDDEN wisdom, which GOD ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which GOD hath prepared for them that love Him.
10 But GOD hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of GOD. (Even the hidden wisdom and mystery of His Plan of restitution of all things,the Genesis,describing His works of restoration of creation - Acts 3:18-24. As JESUS said when He came in the fourth Day: My Father worketh hitherto, and I work- John 5:17,(in fulfillment of Genesis 1:26: Let us make man in OUR image, after our likeness:... JESUS being the brightness of His glory, and the EXPRESS IMAGE of GOD's PERSON... Hebrews 1:3
God bless
Recently; one of our laypersons who is a relatively new attendee of our church boldly asked some musicians "when are you going to play Christian music?" These musicians were supposedly part of a worship team in another church and were so insulted by that they decided not to show up at the next event they were invited to.
I bring this up to show how crucial it is for us to have a jealousy for God; and also to bring up the point that if our Pastor was more concerned about his reputation than he health of his congregation he wouldn't have brought it up himself; or apologized for the last time I walked out of a concert as for the quality of the message in the music. Personally I think he needs to fire the guy who is directing the decisions of bands invited for social events. My point here is that in many lukewarm churches no one would really care very much about these issues. Therefore in my situation since the preaching is of sound doctrine I am working through issues such as weakness in significant prayer; worldliness and other issues rather than bailing out for another church. I have seen the commitment people have to handing out Gospel literature; visiting the elderly and in visiting me in the hospital after I had an extended stay recently. There have been small groups where deep discussion on doctrinal matters are hashed out; seeing genuine commitment to the Lord.
We all need to examine things as to where God wants us to fellowship and if we see doctrinal error especially we need to take take time for prayer and if possible challenge those in leadership first. Then we should leave if the Lord makes it clear things are not changing; and bring others out possibly starting our own Bible Study or prayer group until someone finds a good church home. These things are always better when others are with us to help us find an new church home.
You all know that the Hebrews had to cross the Red Sea,and walk through a desert,walk until they got to the Promised Land after 40 years of peregrination/pilgrimage.What about GOD's people now, even in this current time?
Now GOD's people,members of Christ's body,will have to go through (I mean win a war)against the Red Dragon,that's exactly it,a Red Dragon yes, this is no coincidence,it was predicted millennia ago. He's a false messiah who will soon manifest,just ahead,with great signs of lying,he will manifest in Israel as a lamb with two horns,he's a Jew,of course,and he will speak like a Dragon. Revelation 12.3-17 and Revelation 13:11-18.
Let's get ready to go through this not easy FINAL journey of GOD's people here until the glorious,marvelous,and day of exceedingly joy - day 1335.Remembering and understanding that the departure of the Hebrew people from Egypt was not without first having taken place a battle against Pharaoh(by the way,there and now is the same,it's Satan himself),and when the march began for the departure of GOD's people from Egypt,then the enemy army persecuted the Hebrews,the same will happen now,initially the persecution will be by the man Beast of the sea,it is he who will first persecute the Christian believers- Revelation 13:5-for 42 months,that is the first half of the last week,the week 70th Dan.9:27.This POINT is only and only the half of the way-3,5 years or 42 months,the GOD's people will need to march more 3,5 years,so the march will last 7 years,it will not be easy this journey of course.
Again: Let's get ready to go through this not easy FINAL journey of GOD's people here until the glorious, marvelous,and day of exceendigly joy-day 1335.Amen
JESUS in His prayer to the Father, said: Jn 17:15-I pray not that thou take them out of the world,but that thou keep them from the evil.
Blessed are the meek:for they shall inherit the earth.Mat.5:5
Get ready, yeah, get ready.
>The word of God cuts both ways, a two edged sword.
>How many husbands love their wives as CHRIST loves the church ..... probably NONE.
>The word says you are the WIFE of Christ, so these scripture of a wife submitting to her
>HUSBAND apply as much to you as to any earthly wife.
Your original meaning and intent were clear. You obviously meant that by presenting Christian women with the need to submit, then the "husband" is in the corporate body hence he is metaphorically described as the bride and the wife now places him in the position to submit as does the wife in the marriage relationship. That is against the divine order found in 1 Corinthians 11:3 and contrary to what Ephesians 5 is even stating. What you were attempting to do was blasphemous!
Even though the corporate body of believers, is metaphorically described as the "bride" or "wife" of Christ to symbolize our deep spiritual union and devotion to Him, this metaphor DOES NOT extend or CONTRADICT the commands regarding marital roles. The submission of wives to husbands and the love of husbands for their wives, as described in Ephesians 5, are SPECIFIC instructions for how husbands and wives should relate to each other within the marriage covenant.
Our spiritual relationship with Christ is indeed a profound and personal one, characterized by faith, love, and devotion, but it doesn't prescribe the same roles and dynamics as those within a marital relationship. Therefore, while we are spiritually connected to Christ as His followers, the commands related to marital roles are distinct and apply within the context of marriage, as outlined in Ephesians 5:22-25.
It's essential to interpret and apply biblical principles in their intended context. Ephesians 5:22-25 addresses the ROLES and RESPONSIBIlITIES of husbands and wives within marriage, using the metaphor of Christ and the Church to illustrate these roles, but this metaphor doesn't change the specific commands for marital relationships.