Hello Ladybug, Your assumption of what I was saying about that those who reach out to unbelievers or those in sects that have aberrant teachings that are crucial to salvation is cause compromise is incorrect. We hold out the gospel to those we are led to, ust as Paul did.
And, yes, we are to teach our children, but the passage in Peter is within the context of being persecuted from those outside the faith and enduring hardship and mistreatment for doing good and for spreading the gospel message to those who seek us for the hope they see we have, which is Christ.
Perhaps for you it would be hard to refrain from compromising in such situations. For, it is not hard to maintain a faithful and godly stance in such situations. It was the Pharisees that Jesus railed against for their "holier than thou" heart attitude and their rigid adherence to maintaining separation from those they deemed 'unclean' or 'unholy' or 'gentiles'. We all should have the mind of Christ in this matter and be willing to reach out to those in need of the truth of the gospel in order for them to come to Jesus according to the work and leading of the Holy Spirit both in us and those we hope God to bring to salvation.
It is not what we want that matters, but God's will that matters when it comes to having those we to whom we minister to leave the Catholic Church. He may have some truly born again believers remain in the situation in order to minister to others. Then there may be a time when they leave for another fellowship. Please remember that the Catholic church only Protestant sect that has errors that are quite concerning. I could name some that most people here would consider o.k. to be involved with, but I won't name names. Certainly there are some quasi-Christian sects we should encourage people to part ways with such as Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, Christian Science, to name a few because the teach a falsely about who Jesus is and what He has done to save us, a different Jesus/gospel
I am one who fasted and prayed for those who were ill from Covid, for it to mutate into a milder strain that was less deadly, that He would keep me from contracting it.
After praying to God about it, I got the vaccine. I have 5 high risk factors, two of them being severe illness from any respiratory virus due to asthma and weakened immunity. I have not had Covid. God has kept me through all of this and the virus has weakened as it has mutated, just as I prayed.
Although it seems the vaccine has little positive effect of protection from Covid, I took on faith, not in man, but in God.
Please do not portray those who did get the vaccine as not trusting in God, as Psalm 91 says. There is nothing in this psalm that says we are not to medically treat illnesses or attempt to prevent contracting illnesses. My husband and I pretty much self-isolated through the first year of Covid, ordering groceries online, taking drives to places that were not crowded, like the beach or mountains to have a day out with picnic lunches, only associated with a few people who also took precautions.
Was it lacking faith to do these things? I don't think so, just as it wasn't lacking faith to take the vaccine. Nor is it lacking faith to get treatment for other illnesses or to take other preventative measures such as flu and other vaccines, using inhalers for asthma symptoms, taking allergy medications, blood pressure meds or diabetic meds or anti-seizure meds, etc.
I do think that there were millions of Christians praying and fasting for God to intervene in this situation. He did.
Your questions come off as accusatory rather than encouraging. I think you may have underestimated the faith of believers and their commitment to walk in the Spirit in these matters. There have been many plagues throughout human history that have killed far more than Covid has. Many Christians did die in these plagues. Does this mean that they did not fast and pray or have faith in God? Not so.
The Chruch is the true Israel of God and heirs to God's promises to Abraham
Galatians 3:29 'And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.'
Galatians 6"15-16 'For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and the mercy, and upon the Israel of God.'
All who are in Christ through faith, as Abraham was, are the seed that receive the promise of God to Abraham, the inheritance Abraham looked forward to, the heavenly Jerusalem. Hebrews 11:10.
The promise of the physical land to Abraham and the Israelites was a shadow pointing to the heavenly land of promise, the New heavens and new earth of eternal life with Jesus. The land of Israel was described as flowing with milk and honey, the New Jerusalem is described as flowing with living waters and fruit from the tree of life continually. Both figurative language for the abundant blessings of life in abundance from God for those who are of the faith of Abraham.
I want to thank God for his word on today it was for me and how I was feeling at this time. It's good to know that the spirit of the Lord knows our heart and He knows what to give us when we are in need. I want to take this time just to tell the Lord thank you for all he has done for me. For the breath in my body and the blood that's running warm in my veins he is so wonderful regardless how I feel he is a HEALER OF ALL THINGS.
We as the people of God must keep praying for all things In Jesus Name
Well put and I agree , if we are Christ's ,then we are Abraham's and heirs of the promise . We have been grafted in , there is one nation , the Israel of God , made up of the faithful Jews who were waiting for their Massiah but never got to see him and then those biological Jews who accepted Christ as the promised Massiah along with us Christians . Christ is the Only Way ,we are all one in him .
I agree, and concur with you, and totally with the scripture directed at "living in obediance" and worshipping God in the Spirit! I also agree, many can be conversant in the scripture - but NOT OBEY the scripture. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the scripture and God's Commands. If we have God's Holy Spirit in us; He will NOT let us disobey His Comands, I have found this out the hard way too, and believe me, when Jesus says to sin no more - or something worse will happen to you - it will! If we really have the Spirit in us we will obey all of His Commands.
Example: Hebrews 5:9 "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;"
Please note: That obey Him, That obey Him, That obey Him, That obey Him
Pual isn't telling us that we get the salvation for free - as many of todays modern christains believe. Paul states in the scripture above: only those that obey God recieve eternal salvation!!!
And Jesus tells us plainly: Luke 9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
Once we begin to deny ourselves and we pick up our cross, then and only then - can we begin to follow Jesus in the manner that He wants. If we are living for the worldly things..we are serving satan!
It is very painful to die to ourselves, so to picking up our cross daily can be extremely painful, but nowhere near as painful as what Christ endured for us!
Jesus tells us: Luke 9:24 "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."
Is Jesus telling us that we must give up our worldly lives? Yes. Why is it so hard for us to understand this? Christains may not like to hear this scripture - but we simply can't ignore it!
Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock{the LORD Jesus Christ}I will build my church{the Eternal Church, All True Believers throughout history, the ISRAEL OF GOD}; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mark 4:34 But without a PARABLE spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
The historical events that God records in the Bible are absolutely accurate in their historical account. But God did not record these events in the first instance to give us a history lesson. They are recorded to teach us some aspect of the Gospel which is God's Judgment and Salvation program for Mankind and this World.
And the Book of Jeremiah, like the entire Bible, is exactly that.
Ephesians 3:1-15 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the MYSTERY; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the MYSTERY of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be FELLOWHEIRS{of the New Heavens and New Earth}, and of the SAME BODY{the Israel of God}, and PARTAKERS OF HIS PROMISE in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the FELLOWSHIP, OF THE MYSTERY which from the FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD HATH BEEN HID IN GOD, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the CHURCH {All True Believers throughout history} the manifold wisdom of God, According to the ETERNAL PURPOSE which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH{All True Believers throughout history}is named,
Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the CHURCH{All True Believers throughout history}by Christ Jesus throughout ALL AGES, world without end{the New Heavens and New Earth}. Amen.
There is ONE SALVATION, ONE INHERITANCE for all True Believers throughout history, i.e. the ISRAEL OF GOD.
Certainly, I can provide some insight into the subject for God-fearing people who are concerned about their loving pets during the rapture, drawing from the verse Adam reply - mentioned, Revelation 5:13.
The verse he quoted is part of the biblical book of Revelation, a book that contains visions and prophecies about the end times and the return of Jesus Christ. In this particular verse, John, the author of Revelation, describes a vision of worship in heaven. Every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea is heard praising God and the Lamb (Jesus Christ) with blessings, honour, glory, and power.
While the Bible does not explicitly address the fate of pets during the rapture or in heaven, some theologians and religious scholars have explored this topic with different perspectives.
1. No Direct Scriptural Mention: As you noted, the verse in Revelation 5:13 refers to creatures in general, but it does not specifically mention animals or pets. This absence of direct scriptural mention makes it difficult to provide a definitive answer. The Bible primarily focuses on humanity's relationship with God and the salvation of souls.
2. God's Love and Care: Many God-fearing individuals believe in God's love and care for all of His creations. Since God cares for His creation, it is not unreasonable to think that He would also care for animals, including our beloved pets.
3. Theological Speculation: Some theologians speculate that since pets are part of God's creation and bring joy and companionship to people, they might have a place in God's eternal plan. They suggest that animals may be part of the new heaven and new earth mentioned in Revelation 21:1, where God will make all things new.
4. Symbolic Representation: In some interpretations, animals are seen as symbolic representations of God's goodness, beauty, and creativity. They are considered a reflection of His attributes, and in that sense, their presence in heaven is understood metaphorically.
The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the thousands of deaths caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) led the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic on 12 March 2020. To date, the world has paid a high toll in this pandemic in terms of human lives lost, economic repercussions and increased poverty.
Question: How many Christians or religious people FASTED AND PRAYED?
Question: How many preachers and teachers came forward to call a FAST and repentance from sin?
Question: Where were all those great teachers of knowledge who preached about healing and The Holy Spirit
Question: Who did the Church of God listen to, was it their earthy master or Heavenly Master?
Question: Did you read Psalm 91 and trusted and had faith or took the vaccine?
Concerning.....The Axe laid to the Root of the old Corrupt Tree
Meaning- the True knowledge of God conforms us to the Divine Nature, Rom 8:291John 4:17
Walking & living in the Spirit, Gal 5:22,23, Ephesians 5:9, They're truly born again of the Incorruptible Seed & sin not 1John 3:9 & those that are not led or have the Spirit are none of His. Rom 8:9
False knowledge does not destroy the works to the devil, but leaves the corrupt Tree standing, meaning the old Adamic nature, the man of sin, because his seed (Satan) remains in him, thus one continues in sin, though he or she is ever so conversant in the letter of the Scriptures.
The Axe laid to the Root of the Corrupt Tree ( 2 Peter 1:4)
THAT the true faith (the faith of the gospel, the faith of the elect, the faith which saves the sinner from sin, and makes him more than a conqueror over sin and the powers of darkness) is a belief in the nature of God; which belief giveth entrance into, fixeth in and causeth an abiding in that nature. Unbelief entereth into death, and fixeth in the death: faith giveth entrance into, and fixeth in the life. Faith is an ingrafting into the vine, a partaking of the nature of the vine, a sucking of the juice of life from the vine; which nothing is able to do but the faith, but the belief in the nature. And nothing can believe in the nature, but what is one with the nature. So then faith is not a believing the history of the scripture, or a believing and applying the promises, or a believing that Christ died for sinners in general, or for me in particular; for all this may be done by the unbelieving nature (like the Jew); but a uniting to the nature of God in Christ, which the unbeliever starts from, in the midst of his believing of these
Yet I do not deny that all these things are to be believed, and are believed with the true faith: but this I affirm, that they also may be believed without the true faith; and that such a belief of these doth not determine a man to be a believer in the sight of God, but only the union with the nature of that life from whence all these sprang, and in which alone they have their true value.
That the true faith springs from the true knowledge, or comes with the true knowledge of the true nature of God in Christ, which it believes in. He can never believe in the nature of God, who hath not first the nature of God revealed to him. If a man search the Scriptures all his days, hear all that can be said by men concerning God, Christ, faith, justification, &c., be able to dispute about them, and think he can make his tenets good against all the world; yet, if he hath not received the true knowledge of the nature of these things, all his professed faith in them cannot be true.
That the true knowledge is only to be had by the immediate revelation of Christ in the soul. No man knows the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the son reveals him. The dead shall hear the voice of the son of God, and they that hear shall live. There is no raising of a dead soul to life, but by the immediate voice of Christ. Outward preaching, reading the Scriptures, &c. may direct and encourage men to hearken after and wait for the voice; but it is the immediate voice of Christ in the soul, which alone can quicken the soul to God: and till the light of life shine immediately from Christ in the heart, the true knowledge is never given. 2 Cor 4:6
Hello Star1964. As Jema as shared, the theme of this chapter is in the first verse of the chapter. Yet the chapter is clouded in metaphors; the people could understand it if they were conversant with the Scriptures, but to others it seemed as just another story spoken by a prophet. In this portion of Ezekiel, the prophet is not prophesying any new thing, rather, he is recounting what had taken place & why their princes (& themselves) were in this predicament.
The prophet Ezekiel was ministering to the southern kingdom, Judah, & Ezekiel himself was one of the many captives taken to Babylon. So he was re-telling the story of their downfall & their present suffering. If you understand these metaphors, then the picture of this chapter will become clearer.
Verse 2, 'mother, a lioness': is the Kingdom of Judah; 'the lions, whelps': are the kings of Judah. When Judah "brought up one of her whelps, it became a young lion" (v3): referring to King Jehoahaz - for he was taken as a prisoner to Egypt (v4) by Pharaoh-Necho (see 2 Kings 23:31-34 for this account).
Verses 5-9: when Judah waited too long for Jehoahaz to return & all hope was gone, she took "another of her whelps" (Jehoiachin) & made him king. But when Babylon attacked Judah & Jerusalem & took captives, Jehoiachin was also taken with them (v9; also 2 Kings 24:15). Then in verses 10-14, "the mother" Judah is seen as a vine, plucked up in fury by Nebuchadnezzar, because of the rebellion of King Zedekiah ( 2 Kings 24:17-20; Jeremiah 52:3) against Babylon. Verses 11-14: even though Judah was strong, exalted, & stood out as a sceptre, she was soon removed & the branches of the vine were broken off & the vine withered. Therefore, she is in Babylon (as one now planted in the wilderness) & her greatness & that of her kings were now absolutely nothing. So Ezekiel weeps over such devastation of a great kingdom & will forever remain in the minds of the people. But God would give them hope ( Ezekiel 20:33-44).
When did the Old Testament stop being apart of the Bible we nolonger have to obey so then I guess it's ok to sin no we are still to give a 10th are 10% stop telling people lies honor the word are shut up show me in the Bible we're it says we are no longer to give tithes then I'll stop but you won't find that because it's not in there
I want to invite you to listen to the message from the ministry that I attend. It's called City Refuge in Hephzibah Georgia. We have a channel on YouTube called the true word channel. We are live every Wednesday night and every Sunday morning.
So I read first Peter 315 and there again that's no excuse for us to compromise. It's just telling us to be ready to give an answer meanie have a heart to Mom's for parrots to preach the gospel to minister to them to tell them the full truth if I was to come into the presence of a Catholic and then give their life to the Lord and next thing, I'm gonna tell them is that you need to go to a Ministry that's filled with the word, and no compromise because
If not, they could possibly pull back into Catholicism and that's not what we want. We want them to to be delivered from darkness and into the truth so we tell them the truth.
In some aspects I understand what your saying but a Christian can never compromise with another believer whether they be a babe in Christ or one who has known of the word are the Scriptures for a long time the best thing that we can do for those that say they believe in for those that are coming to the knowledge of the truth is just to give them plain truth even if it means that they're in a Catholic ministry it's best that we tell them that they need to leave the ministry and get in the Bible field ministry, so they can be preached the truth, but not compromise with them. You give them the truth right off the bat and let the Lord do the rest.
Then you say they my be very young in the way so because of that, it sounds like you feel you should compromise with them because of that but no, you speak the truth and leave it up to them to make the decision what they're gonna do but never compromise never back down off the gospel
And you said basically the church they attend is it not so that those who are in Christ are the church so tell me how your speaking truth if your not speaking correct so again if it's not based on facts then then it's not truth
You said my judgment toward your post was not correct but again I stand in truth to say it was you said that to fellow ship with those in darkness no we are to minister to them and yes the verse I gave was not correct so let me fix that 2corinthians6:14 we are just as men of old are to preach and minister the Gospel to them but when you say fellowship I say your wrong fellowship means to associate with tho who share the same interests so believe the same so the disciples didn't go out to those that would not believe us to fellowship with them. They went to them to minister the gospel to them in hopes to win them to Christ.
And by the way, the difference between a preface and prologue is that a preface is an introduction, and a prologue is like a book within a book. When you read the first 18 verses of John's gospel, that is a prologue, not a preface. So, this is a preface. This is an introduction, Verses 1 through 4.
CHAPTER 1:5 THROUGH 2:52: The Pregnancies of Elizabeth and Mary.
CHAPTER 3:1-4:13: The Preparation for the Ministry of both Yochanan ha-Matbil, that is John the Baptist, and Yeshua, for Jesus.
CHAPTER 4:14-9:50: The Preaching of Jesus in Galilee
CHAPTER 9:51-19:27: The Prompting of Jesus toward Jerusalem.
One of my favorite verses is Luke 9:51. When it came time to for Jesus to go to Jerusalem, it says He set His face towards Jerusalem, and that many villages rejected Him because His face was set towards Jerusalem.
As believers, we have to ask ourselves, what is our Jerusalem? What does God want us to do? What are we here for? When you find out what God wants you to do, set your face toward Jerusalem. Don't stop. Don't go to the left or to the right.
And you'll find that people will reject you because you're just passing through. You've got something God wants you to do and you are doing it. Very, very important section! It is almost 10 chapters of people rejecting Jesus because He had His face set towards Jerusalem.
CHAPTER 19:28-21:38: The Preaching of Jesus in Jerusalem. That final week, Passover week.
CHAPTER 22:1-23:56: The Particulars of the Crucifixion of Jesus, His suffering, the different trials, and the actual crucifixion itself.
CHAPTER 24:1-53, THE ENTIRE CHAPTER 24 OF LUKE: The Promise of the Resurrection of Jesus.
That is the Introduction to Luke's Gospel. I will share with you the introduction to the Gospel of John soon, Lord willing!
The theme of Luke's gospel is found in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost." He came to seek us, not us Him!
V. RELATION TO OTHER BOOKS:
Many believe it was the third gospel written of the three Synoptics. Luke follows the formation of Matthew and Mark. As a matter of fact, with Matthew, you will find some differences as far as chronological order in these three gospels goes. Luke is the only one that claims to be in the correct sequential order.
Matthew didn't write his gospel as far as the order of events goes. He wrote his gospel according to topics. And so, you find some scenes that are out of place with the other gospels. That is because the other gospels used various incidents to back up the very theme that they were trying to present.
But Luke, his is in exact chronological order as it happened. Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasize the Galilean ministry up north, away from Jerusalem about 60 to 70 miles. That is where Jesus started out. He was baptized and He stayed up there. He came to Jerusalem for some of the feasts that were mandatory, but He didn't spend time in Jerusalem until the last week of His life, when He came to celebrate Passover.
John emphasizes the Judean ministry. And please remember that Judea is that middle part just before you get into Jerusalem from Galilee up north. And Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasize the Galilean ministry, His three years, or two and half years up north. But John emphasizes the Judean ministry.
And, yes, we are to teach our children, but the passage in Peter is within the context of being persecuted from those outside the faith and enduring hardship and mistreatment for doing good and for spreading the gospel message to those who seek us for the hope they see we have, which is Christ.
Perhaps for you it would be hard to refrain from compromising in such situations. For, it is not hard to maintain a faithful and godly stance in such situations. It was the Pharisees that Jesus railed against for their "holier than thou" heart attitude and their rigid adherence to maintaining separation from those they deemed 'unclean' or 'unholy' or 'gentiles'. We all should have the mind of Christ in this matter and be willing to reach out to those in need of the truth of the gospel in order for them to come to Jesus according to the work and leading of the Holy Spirit both in us and those we hope God to bring to salvation.
It is not what we want that matters, but God's will that matters when it comes to having those we to whom we minister to leave the Catholic Church. He may have some truly born again believers remain in the situation in order to minister to others. Then there may be a time when they leave for another fellowship. Please remember that the Catholic church only Protestant sect that has errors that are quite concerning. I could name some that most people here would consider o.k. to be involved with, but I won't name names. Certainly there are some quasi-Christian sects we should encourage people to part ways with such as Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, Christian Science, to name a few because the teach a falsely about who Jesus is and what He has done to save us, a different Jesus/gospel
I am one who fasted and prayed for those who were ill from Covid, for it to mutate into a milder strain that was less deadly, that He would keep me from contracting it.
After praying to God about it, I got the vaccine. I have 5 high risk factors, two of them being severe illness from any respiratory virus due to asthma and weakened immunity. I have not had Covid. God has kept me through all of this and the virus has weakened as it has mutated, just as I prayed.
Although it seems the vaccine has little positive effect of protection from Covid, I took on faith, not in man, but in God.
Please do not portray those who did get the vaccine as not trusting in God, as Psalm 91 says. There is nothing in this psalm that says we are not to medically treat illnesses or attempt to prevent contracting illnesses. My husband and I pretty much self-isolated through the first year of Covid, ordering groceries online, taking drives to places that were not crowded, like the beach or mountains to have a day out with picnic lunches, only associated with a few people who also took precautions.
Was it lacking faith to do these things? I don't think so, just as it wasn't lacking faith to take the vaccine. Nor is it lacking faith to get treatment for other illnesses or to take other preventative measures such as flu and other vaccines, using inhalers for asthma symptoms, taking allergy medications, blood pressure meds or diabetic meds or anti-seizure meds, etc.
I do think that there were millions of Christians praying and fasting for God to intervene in this situation. He did.
Your questions come off as accusatory rather than encouraging. I think you may have underestimated the faith of believers and their commitment to walk in the Spirit in these matters. There have been many plagues throughout human history that have killed far more than Covid has. Many Christians did die in these plagues. Does this mean that they did not fast and pray or have faith in God? Not so.
The Chruch is the true Israel of God and heirs to God's promises to Abraham
Galatians 3:29 'And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.'
Galatians 6"15-16 'For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and the mercy, and upon the Israel of God.'
All who are in Christ through faith, as Abraham was, are the seed that receive the promise of God to Abraham, the inheritance Abraham looked forward to, the heavenly Jerusalem. Hebrews 11:10.
The promise of the physical land to Abraham and the Israelites was a shadow pointing to the heavenly land of promise, the New heavens and new earth of eternal life with Jesus. The land of Israel was described as flowing with milk and honey, the New Jerusalem is described as flowing with living waters and fruit from the tree of life continually. Both figurative language for the abundant blessings of life in abundance from God for those who are of the faith of Abraham.
Please pray for my finances. I have credit card debt.
I want to thank God for his word on today it was for me and how I was feeling at this time. It's good to know that the spirit of the Lord knows our heart and He knows what to give us when we are in need. I want to take this time just to tell the Lord thank you for all he has done for me. For the breath in my body and the blood that's running warm in my veins he is so wonderful regardless how I feel he is a HEALER OF ALL THINGS.
We as the people of God must keep praying for all things In Jesus Name
Thanks for your responses.
I'm working so I will get back to you at my earliest convenience.
God bless.
I agree, and concur with you, and totally with the scripture directed at "living in obediance" and worshipping God in the Spirit! I also agree, many can be conversant in the scripture - but NOT OBEY the scripture. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the scripture and God's Commands. If we have God's Holy Spirit in us; He will NOT let us disobey His Comands, I have found this out the hard way too, and believe me, when Jesus says to sin no more - or something worse will happen to you - it will! If we really have the Spirit in us we will obey all of His Commands.
Example: Hebrews 5:9 "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;"
Please note: That obey Him, That obey Him, That obey Him, That obey Him
Pual isn't telling us that we get the salvation for free - as many of todays modern christains believe. Paul states in the scripture above: only those that obey God recieve eternal salvation!!!
And Jesus tells us plainly: Luke 9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
Once we begin to deny ourselves and we pick up our cross, then and only then - can we begin to follow Jesus in the manner that He wants. If we are living for the worldly things..we are serving satan!
It is very painful to die to ourselves, so to picking up our cross daily can be extremely painful, but nowhere near as painful as what Christ endured for us!
Jesus tells us: Luke 9:24 "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."
Is Jesus telling us that we must give up our worldly lives? Yes. Why is it so hard for us to understand this? Christains may not like to hear this scripture - but we simply can't ignore it!
Read and Believe!
Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock{the LORD Jesus Christ}I will build my church{the Eternal Church, All True Believers throughout history, the ISRAEL OF GOD}; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mark 4:34 But without a PARABLE spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
The historical events that God records in the Bible are absolutely accurate in their historical account. But God did not record these events in the first instance to give us a history lesson. They are recorded to teach us some aspect of the Gospel which is God's Judgment and Salvation program for Mankind and this World.
And the Book of Jeremiah, like the entire Bible, is exactly that.
Ephesians 3:1-15 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the MYSTERY; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the MYSTERY of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be FELLOWHEIRS{of the New Heavens and New Earth}, and of the SAME BODY{the Israel of God}, and PARTAKERS OF HIS PROMISE in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the FELLOWSHIP, OF THE MYSTERY which from the FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD HATH BEEN HID IN GOD, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the CHURCH {All True Believers throughout history} the manifold wisdom of God, According to the ETERNAL PURPOSE which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH{All True Believers throughout history}is named,
Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the CHURCH{All True Believers throughout history}by Christ Jesus throughout ALL AGES, world without end{the New Heavens and New Earth}. Amen.
There is ONE SALVATION, ONE INHERITANCE for all True Believers throughout history, i.e. the ISRAEL OF GOD.
The verse he quoted is part of the biblical book of Revelation, a book that contains visions and prophecies about the end times and the return of Jesus Christ. In this particular verse, John, the author of Revelation, describes a vision of worship in heaven. Every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea is heard praising God and the Lamb (Jesus Christ) with blessings, honour, glory, and power.
While the Bible does not explicitly address the fate of pets during the rapture or in heaven, some theologians and religious scholars have explored this topic with different perspectives.
1. No Direct Scriptural Mention: As you noted, the verse in Revelation 5:13 refers to creatures in general, but it does not specifically mention animals or pets. This absence of direct scriptural mention makes it difficult to provide a definitive answer. The Bible primarily focuses on humanity's relationship with God and the salvation of souls.
2. God's Love and Care: Many God-fearing individuals believe in God's love and care for all of His creations. Since God cares for His creation, it is not unreasonable to think that He would also care for animals, including our beloved pets.
3. Theological Speculation: Some theologians speculate that since pets are part of God's creation and bring joy and companionship to people, they might have a place in God's eternal plan. They suggest that animals may be part of the new heaven and new earth mentioned in Revelation 21:1, where God will make all things new.
4. Symbolic Representation: In some interpretations, animals are seen as symbolic representations of God's goodness, beauty, and creativity. They are considered a reflection of His attributes, and in that sense, their presence in heaven is understood metaphorically.
Question: How many Christians or religious people FASTED AND PRAYED?
Question: How many preachers and teachers came forward to call a FAST and repentance from sin?
Question: Where were all those great teachers of knowledge who preached about healing and The Holy Spirit
Question: Who did the Church of God listen to, was it their earthy master or Heavenly Master?
Question: Did you read Psalm 91 and trusted and had faith or took the vaccine?
Yes, I do. The Holy Spirit helps me to do so just like it is with all believers.
Meaning- the True knowledge of God conforms us to the Divine Nature, Rom 8:29 1John 4:17
Walking & living in the Spirit, Gal 5:22,23, Ephesians 5:9, They're truly born again of the Incorruptible Seed & sin not 1John 3:9 & those that are not led or have the Spirit are none of His. Rom 8:9
False knowledge does not destroy the works to the devil, but leaves the corrupt Tree standing, meaning the old Adamic nature, the man of sin, because his seed (Satan) remains in him, thus one continues in sin, though he or she is ever so conversant in the letter of the Scriptures.
In love & truth
The Axe laid to the Root of the Corrupt Tree ( 2 Peter 1:4)
THAT the true faith (the faith of the gospel, the faith of the elect, the faith which saves the sinner from sin, and makes him more than a conqueror over sin and the powers of darkness) is a belief in the nature of God; which belief giveth entrance into, fixeth in and causeth an abiding in that nature. Unbelief entereth into death, and fixeth in the death: faith giveth entrance into, and fixeth in the life. Faith is an ingrafting into the vine, a partaking of the nature of the vine, a sucking of the juice of life from the vine; which nothing is able to do but the faith, but the belief in the nature. And nothing can believe in the nature, but what is one with the nature. So then faith is not a believing the history of the scripture, or a believing and applying the promises, or a believing that Christ died for sinners in general, or for me in particular; for all this may be done by the unbelieving nature (like the Jew); but a uniting to the nature of God in Christ, which the unbeliever starts from, in the midst of his believing of these
Yet I do not deny that all these things are to be believed, and are believed with the true faith: but this I affirm, that they also may be believed without the true faith; and that such a belief of these doth not determine a man to be a believer in the sight of God, but only the union with the nature of that life from whence all these sprang, and in which alone they have their true value.
That the true faith springs from the true knowledge, or comes with the true knowledge of the true nature of God in Christ, which it believes in. He can never believe in the nature of God, who hath not first the nature of God revealed to him. If a man search the Scriptures all his days, hear all that can be said by men concerning God, Christ, faith, justification, &c., be able to dispute about them, and think he can make his tenets good against all the world; yet, if he hath not received the true knowledge of the nature of these things, all his professed faith in them cannot be true.
That the true knowledge is only to be had by the immediate revelation of Christ in the soul. No man knows the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the son reveals him. The dead shall hear the voice of the son of God, and they that hear shall live. There is no raising of a dead soul to life, but by the immediate voice of Christ. Outward preaching, reading the Scriptures, &c. may direct and encourage men to hearken after and wait for the voice; but it is the immediate voice of Christ in the soul, which alone can quicken the soul to God: and till the light of life shine immediately from Christ in the heart, the true knowledge is never given. 2 Cor 4:6
Issac Penington
The prophet Ezekiel was ministering to the southern kingdom, Judah, & Ezekiel himself was one of the many captives taken to Babylon. So he was re-telling the story of their downfall & their present suffering. If you understand these metaphors, then the picture of this chapter will become clearer.
Verse 2, 'mother, a lioness': is the Kingdom of Judah; 'the lions, whelps': are the kings of Judah. When Judah "brought up one of her whelps, it became a young lion" (v3): referring to King Jehoahaz - for he was taken as a prisoner to Egypt (v4) by Pharaoh-Necho (see 2 Kings 23:31-34 for this account).
Verses 5-9: when Judah waited too long for Jehoahaz to return & all hope was gone, she took "another of her whelps" (Jehoiachin) & made him king. But when Babylon attacked Judah & Jerusalem & took captives, Jehoiachin was also taken with them (v9; also 2 Kings 24:15). Then in verses 10-14, "the mother" Judah is seen as a vine, plucked up in fury by Nebuchadnezzar, because of the rebellion of King Zedekiah ( 2 Kings 24:17-20; Jeremiah 52:3) against Babylon. Verses 11-14: even though Judah was strong, exalted, & stood out as a sceptre, she was soon removed & the branches of the vine were broken off & the vine withered. Therefore, she is in Babylon (as one now planted in the wilderness) & her greatness & that of her kings were now absolutely nothing. So Ezekiel weeps over such devastation of a great kingdom & will forever remain in the minds of the people. But God would give them hope ( Ezekiel 20:33-44).
If not, they could possibly pull back into Catholicism and that's not what we want. We want them to to be delivered from darkness and into the truth so we tell them the truth.
VI. SECTION OUTLINE OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE:
CHAPTER 1:1-4: The Preface.
And by the way, the difference between a preface and prologue is that a preface is an introduction, and a prologue is like a book within a book. When you read the first 18 verses of John's gospel, that is a prologue, not a preface. So, this is a preface. This is an introduction, Verses 1 through 4.
CHAPTER 1:5 THROUGH 2:52: The Pregnancies of Elizabeth and Mary.
CHAPTER 3:1-4:13: The Preparation for the Ministry of both Yochanan ha-Matbil, that is John the Baptist, and Yeshua, for Jesus.
CHAPTER 4:14-9:50: The Preaching of Jesus in Galilee
CHAPTER 9:51-19:27: The Prompting of Jesus toward Jerusalem.
One of my favorite verses is Luke 9:51. When it came time to for Jesus to go to Jerusalem, it says He set His face towards Jerusalem, and that many villages rejected Him because His face was set towards Jerusalem.
As believers, we have to ask ourselves, what is our Jerusalem? What does God want us to do? What are we here for? When you find out what God wants you to do, set your face toward Jerusalem. Don't stop. Don't go to the left or to the right.
And you'll find that people will reject you because you're just passing through. You've got something God wants you to do and you are doing it. Very, very important section! It is almost 10 chapters of people rejecting Jesus because He had His face set towards Jerusalem.
CHAPTER 19:28-21:38: The Preaching of Jesus in Jerusalem. That final week, Passover week.
CHAPTER 22:1-23:56: The Particulars of the Crucifixion of Jesus, His suffering, the different trials, and the actual crucifixion itself.
CHAPTER 24:1-53, THE ENTIRE CHAPTER 24 OF LUKE: The Promise of the Resurrection of Jesus.
That is the Introduction to Luke's Gospel. I will share with you the introduction to the Gospel of John soon, Lord willing!
God Bless!!!
IV. THE THEME OF LUKE
The theme of Luke's gospel is found in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost." He came to seek us, not us Him!
V. RELATION TO OTHER BOOKS:
Many believe it was the third gospel written of the three Synoptics. Luke follows the formation of Matthew and Mark. As a matter of fact, with Matthew, you will find some differences as far as chronological order in these three gospels goes. Luke is the only one that claims to be in the correct sequential order.
Matthew didn't write his gospel as far as the order of events goes. He wrote his gospel according to topics. And so, you find some scenes that are out of place with the other gospels. That is because the other gospels used various incidents to back up the very theme that they were trying to present.
But Luke, his is in exact chronological order as it happened. Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasize the Galilean ministry up north, away from Jerusalem about 60 to 70 miles. That is where Jesus started out. He was baptized and He stayed up there. He came to Jerusalem for some of the feasts that were mandatory, but He didn't spend time in Jerusalem until the last week of His life, when He came to celebrate Passover.
John emphasizes the Judean ministry. And please remember that Judea is that middle part just before you get into Jerusalem from Galilee up north. And Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasize the Galilean ministry, His three years, or two and half years up north. But John emphasizes the Judean ministry.