2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. (first part of verse; second shows resulting results for Asa's behavior).
The whole world is corrupt beyond easure; whether it is what is within men's hearts; or the world system; or the demonic principalities and powers controlling the affairs of men. We have made idols of popular foods; actors and actresses; musicians and our general way of life which we desire to maintain at all costs.
Proverbs 14:34 says Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Whether it is grandma or her apple pie that brings us comfort only the Lord and those in Him will live forever and things in this life are fleeting. All desires of the flesh of beauty also are temporal along with any material goods that we obsess over. The Kingdom of Heaven is more than eating and drinking ( Romans 14:17) and for some reason the Gospel quote I am having difficulty finding. The point is the Holy Spirit must take over our minds and control our bodies and souls and put to death the old mind; otherwise known as mortifying the flesh ( Romans 8:13). Or as the quote mentioned in church today stated when the demon possessed child was to be healed "Lord help me with my unbelief". ( Mark 9:23 and following verses with anecdote).
Or as the song "How Deep the Father's Love" states in the end of the third stanza. "Ashamed I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers."
Those TRULY in the Lord will also recognize when the enemy is falsely accusing them of not knowing the Lord whenever a believer falls into sin or having fallen beyond redemption as another accusation. In my experience I have found that is a common way the Lord reigns me in to realize the sin that I've committed and to once again trust Him so that I am protected from the enemy's strongholds. Never try to outsmart the enemy.
The purpose of the sex demons /incubus or succubus / is to cause delays, keep you stagnant and to steal your destiny. The first thing to do when you arise from sleep whether in the morning or at any other time is to say: I Renounce, Rebuke and Revoke every evil covenant formed in my sleep in YESHUA/ JESUS MIGHTY NAME. Amen. Do this every day.
This is will help you greatly. Another 5-10% of your problems will cease.
Pay attention to your dreams. Go to this guy on Youtube His biblical prayer interpretations are solid evangelist Joshua TV . He also gives good suggestions on what to do when you ve had certain dreams.
Ask GOD /YAH to help you to not eat or drink or exchange/ take anything in dreams as these are all covenants []
As you reclaim your rightful territory your neighbor will try to draw you out BUT Exchange no words , nor anything with the demon neighbors because it may seem normal to you BUT to him but he'll use it as a hook and an agreement to take back lost territory.
Make fasting and praying a regular occurence in your life [ Mark 9:29 ]
Regarding the monitoring spirits. Instantly rebuke them with fire [ Isaiah 66:15] and by the Blood of YESHUA/JESUS
Pray that your home and your self and space and everything concerning you be surrounded by an impenetrable wall of fire. [ Zechariah 2:5].
Say Psalm 91 daily.
Anoint your windows and doors [ Exodus 12:7] with olive oil and ask for angelic protection. Before you go to sleep. Say psalms of protection. And leave some of your lights on in your house.
Before you step foot outside prayer. And pay attention to your doorways and steps etc. When you go out and come back in ask for protection going in and coming out [ Deuteronomy 28:6]
Read The Word daily. Ask YAH/ GOD for Wisdom, understanding and knowledge and apply whatever HE shows you.
And go back to church especially if it is a church that does deliverance. It will be a major victory.
Mark 9:43-48 - And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: (Read More...)
Matthew 13:50 - And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Revelation 20:14 - And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 - Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Revelation 20:10 - And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Psalms 145:20 - The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
Matthew 5:22 - But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Hebrews 10:26-31 - For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (Read More...)
Revelation 14:11 - And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Luke 16:19-31 - There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: (Read More...)
Luke 12:5 - But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him
Mark 9:42 - And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Again, the word offend is the Greek word SCANDALON. It is where we get out word scandal from, except in Greek it had to do with a stick that was used to prop up a box. And it was used like a trap spring so that when an animal would run underneath the box, they would pull the stick and the box would fall down and they would trap it.
Whosoever shall trap one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. That is pretty serious!
Mark 9:43 - And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
This is what's called a hyperbole in literature. Jesus says that if your hand offends you to cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands and to go into hell. This would be Gehenna, the Valley of Henon.
The Valley of Henon was just to the south of Jerusalem. It was the Valley that they used to offer their children up in sacrifice in the old days. But at this time when Jesus came, they were using it as the garbage dump. People just came and dumped their garbage into the Valley and it was constantly burning. It is called "The Valley Geh of Henon," or Gehenna. It is better for him to be maimed than to go into Gehenna, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mark 10:7 - For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
The word cleave is the word glue in the Greek text. Interesting!
Mark 9:29 - And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
And again, just like the Matthew text, that little phrase "and fasting" is added to many manuscripts. Originally it was just prayer, but if you keep the fasting in there that's not a problem. But just so you know, it is not part of a formula. What is the first thing Jesus said? He said the answer is, bring him to me, and if I am not here, pray! Bring him to me!
Mark 9:34 - But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Literally in the Greek, it is "who's the greater," showing comparison. It is not who is going to be first. It is comparing themselves with the other disciples as to who is the greater of them all.
Mark 9:35 - And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
So, Jesus sat down and called the twelve, and He said to them, If any man desire to be first (that is, the chief), the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. The word for servant is the word DIAKONOS. And that is where we get our English word deacon from. In Greek, it is the Greek word for a waiter, somebody who waits on tables in a restaurant, a server, without tips.
So, He says "if you want to be the chief." You see, in the Kingdom of Heaven, the frame of mind is different than the mind of the earth. He is saying your frame of mind is totally earthly. Who's going to be the greater? Jesus says let me show you what it is like in the Kingdom of God. If you desire to be chief, you will be last of all, and you will be the servant of everybody. In the Kingdom of Heaven, the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the one who's the slave and the server of everybody!
Mark 8:38 - Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Jesus said, Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and the word ashamed in Greek means to withdraw. It doesn't mean you are embarrassed. It means you draw back from the things of Christ. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, I'll withdraw from you (when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels). If you don't identify with me here, when you face me on Judgment Day, I am not going to identify with you!
Mark 9:2 - And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
The word transfigure is where we get our English word metamorphosis from. Metamorphosis, METAMORPHEO, means that Jesus didn't just change His exterior appearance, but He literally changed in form. He was no longer in His physical form. He was in His glorified state or resurrected body as some people like to think of it. He was transfigured and transformed before them.
Mark 9:11 - And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
The King James says Elias. That is transliteration of the Greek word. He is talking about Elijah. Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? The prophecy comes from Malachi 4:5-6.
Mark 9:17 - And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
Somebody from the crowd answers and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; that is, the demonic spirit keeps him from speaking.
Further examination of John 16:8 as to righteousness
John 16:8 And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned.
I have examined this verse in light of sin; but thought before I continue with the other two aspects of the verse in detail; I should mention that UNBELIEF is something that not only the world but all of us-in reality are in a state of before being regenerated; as that is the first role of the Holy Spirit. When Christ was present on earth; it was clear that after multitudes; presumably almost everyone in Israel knew of Christ's undeniable miracles ( John 11:47) and also of the Apostles ( Acts 4:16) that deliberate unbelief would be the precursor of blasphemy of the Holy Ghost; where Beelzebub was said to be the source of Christ's strength; or others such as the sons of Sceva and the sorcerer in Acts would attempt to gain this power in their own strength or attempt to get it through money. The end result; clearly didn't go too well for these individuals; and no forgiveness was offered for blasphemy of the Spirit ( Mark 3:29 said early in Christ's ministry). Christ said all things against Him or the Father could be forgiven ( Matt. 12:32) but not against the Holy Spirit-and that also is set for the future reign of the Lord on the earth as well. Let us all be as the man in Mark 9:24 and ask Jesus to help us with our unbelief!
Now as to righteousness. Jesus says because He goes to the Father and we no longer see Him that the Spirit testifies of righteousness. I would think this implies that all who truly know Christ now are as the result of the unseen work of the Spirit.
As odd as it seems; when Christ was here physically as to Him being God that had to be revealed from above.
Healing can be based on mercy, healing always requires faith, great faith produces miracles (think about Jesus how He had great faith) It takes time to be holy, if a believer does not yet have great faith to produce miracles, then continue to grow the faith that you have. Each has a measure of faith. Healing can also be a process.
Yes, the promises of healing still apply and are active. God does not change His mind concerning that He sent His only begotten son to save, HEAL and deliver. Now Jesus has rose from the dead and has all power in heaven and in earth, (not just in certain places) everywhere you believe or where ever there is faith there is healing and deliverance.
It takes time to be holy, if a believer does not yet have great faith to produce miracles, then grow the faith you have. It shows you have faith because you came to this website. Each day work and build up your most holy faith.
A large mountain is climbed one step at a time. Believe everyday, all day, commune with God in your heart, hold fast to your believeth that God loves you and is for you to be healed. Go to the doctor if you have to, but hold fast to your faith in God.
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 KJV
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." Matthew 21:21 KJV
"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23 KJV
"...but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." Isaiah 66:2 KJV
Faith works if you hold on to the faith. God is always standing by.
"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23 KJV
"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." Luke 18:27 KJV
As a believer, I, believe God concerning your prayer petition before God, and that,
"... he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 KJV
"O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah." Psalms 84:8 KJV
As a believer, I stand in agreement that God hears and answers prayers, Amen.
Transfiguration of Jesus at the mount throws up light beyond the glorious body, a building of God eternal in heavens. The disciples going to Emmaus would not have recognized the risen Jesus but they did and it had to do with the word. " Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?"( Luke 24:31-32). When Jesus opened their eyes they did know it was he indeed.
Then we have the mount itself to consider. "And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them."(v.2). As with the Sermon on the mount we have the high mountain which is the testimony of God and Jesus as the rock cut not with hands, signifying we are looking at the Word become flesh.
Mark mentions Moses and Elias " and they were talking with Jesus."(v.24). When Jesus explained the word of God to Cleopas and his companion, "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." ( Luke 24:27) Luke elsewhere gives an additional insight to the transfiguration."And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:/Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." Moses and Elias and Jesus are the three in glory in that specific moment of transfiguration while the three disciples, Peter James and John were in their physical bodies. In short, the Transfiguration is clear illustration of two worlds of the Spirit and of the flesh and blood operating simultaneously. The word concerning him sets prophets serving outside the timescale as we know the term. For this reason Jesus speaks of Elias,"But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him." (v.13) The ministry of Elias and Moses were as a double Jesus Christ
"And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us./ But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me./For he that is not against us is on our part." Lucan gospel also gives this incident.( Luke 9:48-50)
Principle of Association is reconciling all things in heaven and on earth. "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;/And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."(Col.1:10) The Mind of Christ is to see in his light so his name is preeminent whether persons places or events, whichever is named is subject to him. For this reason he rebuked Peter who was viewing his master as one who must be protected from all harm. "Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."(7:33)
Jesus Christ was anointed the Christ above all others." Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre./Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."(Ps.45:6-7) As a Son he chose all those who were called and as the Son of man he made manifest grace and truth. So he would after transfiguring before the three disciple tell them, "And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead."(v.9)
The disciples did not understand its significance. They had to go a longway in their discipleship.
Mark states the principle of Association which is in an altered from than what is presented by St Matthew. "And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them," Jesus sets a child representing the twelve and St Matthew presents the principle accordingly, before he sent them to preach, "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." (Matt.10:40). Jesus taking the child in his arms is how we are set in his hands so both Gospels are referring the selfsame idea. In terms of the quality God set his name every other name because he was a child in his obedience. Putting on the mind of Christ is therefore proving your parentage. At the mount of Transfiguration he received the testimony of his Father, "And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him."(v.7). The earth and the fulness thereof belong to God which makes all things in heaven and on earth by him consist. "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." therefore is not to be measured by earthly time but as set forth in the divine Will. As the Word which was from the beginning ( John 1:1) it pleased God that in him should all Fullness dwell.
"And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus."(v.4) Demonstrative of this we have Moses and Elias meeting Jesus at the mount. Before the Advent of Jesus they were sent as stand in for him and while at the mount their roles are reversed! It is how the two worlds of the Spirit and of the flesh and blood revolve about a stationary point of the Son and of the Son of man. Now we shall understand why Jesus said, in vv.38-39. His disciples did not have this 360 degree view while Jesus understood his name before which all knees should bow (Ph.2:5-9) rose above their partisan spirit. They still had a long way to go .
Here we have a saying that must prove as Euclid's Elements proposed pons asinorum for the medieval students; and here we have one as similar for those who approach the word of God by intellect and explain the meanings literally. Here are three injunctions stated by Jesus Christ: "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off" (v.43) secondly, "And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off" (v.45) and finally, And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out."(v.47). The Spirit gives the same formula after the three sayings that makes it special and to be understood as of grave importance. In v.44,v.46 and in v.48 "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.". Seven messages to the churches end with the same line, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;."(Re.2:7). If the formula is specifically applied to the churches what shall we make of Jesus gives at the end of the Parable of the Sower? "And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."(4:9,23;Matt.13:9) "It is to his disciples unto whom grace is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. This formula forms a hedge about, a caveat for whosoever would want to enter the kingdom of God. In this context the Spirit while presenting the 'seven days' from the everlasting covenant in Ge.Ch.1 we have this at the end of each 'day', "And the evening and the morning were...".(1:5,8,13,19,23,31). Where was these leading us to? "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Seventh day explains that He blessed whosoever would enter therein in his Son.(Ge.2:3) The hand foot and the eye refers to the body of the church or the Bride. Hence both gospels of St Mark and Matthew sets these sayings in context of offending 'these little ones that believe in me"(9:41-42; Matt.18:6)
"Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."
Salt is compared to life which could be lived to no purpose or to life abundant. The word of God warned Lot and his family to go forward but Mrs Lot would rather live in the past. "Remember Lot's wife," serves as a warning to all those who holds no vision as Abraham has had. "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." He.11:10. So living in tents as pilgrims and sojourners his vision ever led him forth so much so heaven in the Parable of Jesus is compared to Abraham's bosom.
In vv28-50 the Spirit mentions the house as separate from the world. "And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?" As with parables the mysteries were not for those who had no appreciation for the saltiness of their soul. Killing time in mindless pursuits is what they call as having good time. From the edge of their lost contents they may sent postcards telling,'wish you were here!'. In the house the disciples would press their masters for answers so they did have a sound base upon which they could build up, "Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."
vv.33-34 There was oneupmanship among them. How often did they forget that they could nothing without their master? The house is a synonym for abiding life as in the Parable of the 'I am the true vine.' ( John 15:3) They were yet to understand the principle of Association. Charity of giving a glass of water is in the connection between the one in need and God in heaven. "Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me." False shepherds wax eloquent over 1 Co.13 and let not their Jesus talk fool anyone. Without abiding life in Christ it is for their own glory.
"And I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not./He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me."
Jesus' call,"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," includes not only the twelve but whosoever is called, and according to the scriptures (which hinges on the blessings spelt forth in the covenant,) is expected to respond.The living soul would mean whosoever valued truth above what is seen or temporal so life of the Spirit sets the polestar for his onward voyage. "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."(Re.22:16). It is thus the inner man presents the gospel to man. Faith with works renders him hold Jesus Christ as the Captain of his salvation and run the race so the only life he seeks is beyond life of the senses. Peter merely responded to the question and answered correctly, "Thou art the Christ."(8:29) Shortly there after he shows he was still struggling to find his feet in the matter of discipleship. Rebuking him Jesus said,"for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."(8:33). Peter and the rest had a long way to go but the promise was that they lived by grace, from his fullness. Wherever they fumbled Jesus was ther as in the case of the demon possessed boy, Jesus would say, "bring him unto me".
"Let him deny himself" also meant the disciples were amenable to correction. "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."( John 3: 21). Peter had to bear his cross, and denial of Christ was in the past for Jesus forgave his lapse and placed the flock under his care. "Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."
"And how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought." (v.12)
This key verse shall explain this saying of Jesus. It also tells how vital was for the multitude that he called them as well as his disciples, so it goes to the very core of the kingdom of God. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it./For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"(8:34-36). For my sake and for the gospel's sake is distinct from the Son for whom 'this day' is decreed. (Ps.2:7) So the gospel and the Word become flesh, the Son of man fulfills the provision of 'the seven days' in the everlasting covenant.
What God has sanctified covers the body of Christ and the duration of which is 'this day'. God was from the beginning and the Word was with him. Because of Adam and his disobedience sin entered into the world so with obedience what Jesus proved was the excellence of the soul which is the earnest of divine sovereignty of soul. Life of the vile body cannot let go "I will" So when the pomp and circumstance of the king of Tyre wants to impose his will he proves to whom he holds affinity. His will worship sets him as the son of perdition. "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire./Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." (Ez.28:14-16; "I will be like the most High./Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell."-Is.14:14-15)
God made man a living soul, and the life is what the Word become flesh made manifest. Humility of Jesus set at nought his own body after the likeness of men. So redemption of one's soul has only single way into the kingdom of God. "I am the Way" Ph.2:5-9)
"That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power."
St Matthew also gives this and both converge to the transfiguration of Jesus, the baseline on which whosoever enters into the kingdom of God shall have in common. Both gospels give the tag, 'After six days' is where the Son and the Son of man merges in terms of the Word. Thus when Jesus holds his disciples to secrecy it is to the spiritual body that awaits him. In short Peter James and John representing all his brethren/Associates are given a preview of this kingdom coming with power. "for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."( Luke 12:32). Little flock, servants, associates are stages of development in the life of anyone who wants to follow the Son of man. By the same token Moses Elias David,Isaiah Ezekiel John serve as double for the Son of man since God had foreknown them 'according to the scriptures' so what they said or did was in obedience to the Son who was the Word. At this high mountain where Jesus transfigured was a foretaste of what was to come. Coming with power also was within the frame of reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That makes Joel also as a double. In short principle of Association is like a stone thrown in a pool causes the ripple widening to fill the whole extent. The bread from heaven cast forth in Ec.11:1-2 refers to the Son of man.
Bearing our cross and following him we enter the kingdom with power so our spiritual bodies, a building of God eternal in heavens we are to keep in sights. The same transfiguration as Jesus made manifest is our earnest as with the indwelling Spirit is our confidence."For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."(2 Co.5:4-5)
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. ( Rev. 21:8)
Unbelieving: The first verse that comes to mind here is the man with a son that had a demon possessed son who was being thrown into water; etc. That passage is Mark 9:24 and the whole incident is worth reading to understand further how there was rampant lack of faith as well as preparation for casting out the demon. REALIZING we have unbelief results from the Holy Spirit changing us; it is not what is often a false gospel of not having faith enough for a family member to be healed; or some power trip by a ministry more interested in notoriety and ultimately greedy for gain with someone given a title of "healer". We can say at the time of Christ it was indeed foolish not to believe He could work any miracles including bringing one back from death; because it was only rejecting His claim of Divinity that a person could reject Him which shows the depths of blindness of the Pharisees. The core issue which remains the same is the fact that we are all as "filthy rags" ( Isaiah 64:6) and this includes our so called "good deeds".
Abominable: Luke 16:15 shows what men hold as esteemed is an abomination before God. To esteem something shows a sort of prideful mentality; acclaim and praise is something Christ warned about in numerous passages (see Luke 6:26; another passage in this book as one example). Even calling Christ good implies that he as a mere man or prophet is good; and Christ makes it clear only God alone is good ( Mark 10:18). This is what is so dangerous about anyone who men praise; not only do they almost always practice false theology but we are convinced our own righteousness will justify us in the day of judgment.
No wonder Satan appearing as an angel of light fools lost souls ( 2 Cor. 11:14).
Today in Sunday school someone mentioned that before prayer it is good to say "Lord I don't love you; or other people (fill in the blank). Alas some with a spiritual gift of compassion would find what I am saying repulsive. We all can apply this principle to scripture reading as well "help me with my unbelief" ( Mark 9:24); or "God be merciful to me a sinner" ( Luke 18:13).
Since we are reading the "living Word" ( John 1:1) it behooves us to focus on our Lord and Savior and how much He suffered for our benefit. It also is important that we trust the Lord and also His Word as being truth and something we can lean on. Trusting in the Lord and not our own understanding ( Proverbs 3:5-6) is something we need to discuss in more detail.
Assuming we have a legitimate faith and basic understanding that the Bible is the truth and we live on that premise we could say that we trust the Lord. That of course is easier said than done; we can suddenly find ourselves overwhelmed by circumstances and allow our emotions to dictate through either a "fight or flight" mentality. This is true if we face martyrdom or serious persecution; but as with anything else the Lord usually leads us through the valleys of everyday trials and stresses to teach us to trust Him more for those big things. We can look at scripture for these examples with the 12 Apostles and their growth through Christ's earthly ministry then after Pentacost; or look at the kings of Israel with all their sins exposed for us to see.
There are a few who don't have sins mentioned; it is noteworthy that only Moses seems to be a Prophet whose sins were mentioned and the consequence of not being able to enter the Promised Land. David technically prophesied as well about the Messiah in the Psalms in particular and his personal sins and immediate consequences out the for us to see. These; of course are examples for us all ( 1 Cor. 10:11).
The Spirit refers to God as He "who maketh clouds his chariot". (Is.19:1; Ps 104:3) Singularity of the Spirit renders the clouds as visible form of the invisible aspect of God. This also serve as witnesses an in the vision of Daniel, " I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him."( Dan 7:13)
(See entry under B: Behold)
We have another instance where the clouds serve as witness. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him."(Re.1:7).
Whenever a voice from heaven testified Jesus as 'my beloved Son' symbolic presence of God was in a bright cloud. "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.(Matt.17:5) ( Mark 9:7). When the rider on the white horse finally appears in Re.19 the cloud is conspicuous by absence. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war."(Re.19:11). Instead we have an army of saints in white.
2.
Cloud is the glory of God when manifested. His strength is in the clouds (Ps.68:34). Stephen "looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,"(Ac.7:55-56) This Father Son relationship is transcribed into tokens explain the spiritual significance of the clouds. Clouds a natural phenomena doubles as a sign.
Glory of the word that stretched the skies was present at the dedication of the Temple.(Is.40:22) In order to instruct us the Spirit sets the cloud as a sign there. God set His approval when King Solomon dedicated it to him.", that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,/ So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud."(1 Ki.8:10-12)
Luke 16:31 And he said unto them, if they hear not MOSES and the PROPHETS, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose
from the dead.
Acts 24:14 But this I confess unto you, that after the way they (the church) call HERESY, so worship I the God of my fathers; believing ALL THINGS written in the LAW and the PROPHETS.
Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, they came many unto him in his lodging, to whom he expounded and testified the KINGDOM of GOD, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses,and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Most don't believe ALL THINGS written in MOSES and the PROPHETS.
Psalms 149:9 To execute upon them the judgement written, this honoru hath all his saints.
Isaiah 26:9 ... for when thy judgements (administered by the saints) are in the earth (second resurrection), the world WILL LEARN righteousness.
Psalms 22:27 All the ends of the world SHALL REMEMBER (when they are resurrected and judged by the saints) AND TURN (repent) unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
Isaiah 66:24 And they (the saints) shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me, for their (the saints) WORM shall not die; neither shall their (the saints') FIRE be quenched, and they (the saints) shall be and abhorring to all flesh.
Job 25:6 And much less man, that is a worm?and the son or man WHICH IS A WORM.
Psalms 22:6 .... But I am a worm .....
Mark 9:46 Where their WORM dieth not, nor is the FIRE quenched.
Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Matthew 13:34 ... and without a parable he spake he not unto them......
The whole word of God is Christ speaking.
Psalms 78:2 I will open my mouth in a PARABLE: I will open my DARK SAYINGS of the harps (his people)
Matthew 25:46 - And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
This seems pretty clear to me and hard to misunderstand it unless someone tries to twist it.
If someone doesn't believe punishment is eternal then maybe someone should likewise question whether heaven is eternal, because this verse states them both as being everlasting / eternal.
The Bible says the soul will die, the 2nd death, perish, etc. But how do you know that's not the eternal part, or how can you prove that God allows someone to actually suffer without a soul, etc. Basically people are just speculating, and its not going to get very far.
But perhaps we can all agree that hell is bad and heaven is good? Hell is punishment and something to be avoided, and we need Jesus to avoid it. John 3:16 says this.
Revelation 20:10 - And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
You can safely say some will be tormented day and night for ever and ever, because that's literally what this verse says.
Mark 9:43-48 - unquenching fire- you can safely say that hell isn't immediately going away, either. It's likely in full operation.
Revelation 14:11 - And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Daniel 12:1-2 ever lasting life vs ever lasting contempt
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 everlasting destruction. This might debunk the human reasoning idea that death or being destroyed must only happen in a short timeframe. This says it can happen 'ever lasting' which seems long term or eternal. So, this verse now explains all the other verses where it makes sense.
Revelation 14:11 smoke of their torment for ever and ever. That doesn't sound immediate or short term to me, but forever.
The fire that shall never be quenched means it is irreversible. Look at the remains of sodom and Gomorrah that can be seen today. There are outlines of the buildings in the area near the Dead Sea. Archeological proof of the wrath of God.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and its outlying towns have been a permanent destruction. This is an object lesson for us.
Mark 9:43
"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:"
Thank you Shabbat Keeper for coming back to me. I'll respond to your three recent posts to me with my one here.
Firstly, on the name 'Gehenna', otherwise called the "Valley of Hinnom", the Encyclopaedia definition is quite correct about the purpose why that area was set aside. It was indeed a place for the burning of refuse & the dead. And yes, it meant that they were all annihilated - no more evidence except dust & ashes. So, it can mean 'annihilation', but Gehenna can also mean 'a place of burning where the fires are never quenched'. And we know that the body is disposed of there, but what about the immaterial parts of man that remains accountable to God? And you also referenced a verse I quoted in Matthew 10:28. Taken on its own, that verse could well support your belief of a complete extermination of body, soul & spirit.
But it was for that very reason that I gave you the other verses to look up & consider. Not only was Matthew 10:28 Jesus' Words, but also Matthew 5:22,29,30; Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:10,11-15. You didn't take these into account. And we know, as I trust you are conversant, that when we deal with a topic or a doctrine from the Bible, we need to take in all the references that deal specifically with it. Unfortunately, our natural human instinct is to accept only those that we find palatable or in agreement with, thus distorting the teaching from the Word.
So, if you would care to look at those other verses & see how they affect your understanding of Matthew 10:28, I would be very interested. It's only when we consider all verses on a subject, can we get a fuller picture of it meaning & its implications. However, sometimes there aren't too many verses to help us learn about the subject - in such cases we can't force a teaching by them & just leave the subject open. Yet, not so with these important doctrines of the Deity of Christ & human existence & punishment after death.
In Luke 16:19-31, we read about the rich man and Lazarus. What I notice is that they both died. It speaks of the rich man being in Hades, and being in torment. What is interesting if you read through that section, the rich man can feel, he can speak, he can see, he can remember, and he is in torment. Notice in Verse 26 that there is a great gulf fixed and no one is able to cross over from one side to the other. There is no hope for those on the opposite side of Abraham's bosom. The question here is, why didn't the rich man cease to exist when he died?
In Mark 9:43-47, even though this is not literally talking about plucking your eye out or cutting off your hand, it does speak of some entering into life, and some being cast into Hell. If the wicked one who has rejected Christ dies and ceases to exist, how can he be cast into Hell?
In Revelation 20:5, it tells us that the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. Obviously, there must have been a previous resurrection because this talks about the rest of the dead not being resurrected until after the 1,000-year reign. How can those who cease to exist be resurrected? How do you raise or resurrect something that does not exist?
John 5:29 says, "And come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." Again, how do you resurrect and judge someone that does not exist?
Again, in Luke 16:28, the rich man says, "For I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment." This rich man is in a place of torment. He did not cease to exist when he died. Why not?
I just have a few more questions if you don't mind, so I will need one more post.
Actually Shabbat Keeper, I wasn't intending to bring up the Rapture debate here, as it has been well discussed over the years. Rather, I was intending to give, maybe a rather flimsy example of a type of Gospel message, telling unbelievers that "when we turn to the Lord for forgiveness of our sins & receiving Christ into our life, then we will not face (physical) death, but just be raptured (caught up, as with Enoch/Elijah), to forever be with him". Here then would be something for the unbeliever to consider, because as sure as day turns into night, we all (believer & unbeliever alike) will face death - whether this thought leaves an 'icky' feeling in us depends on how we view death. So, rapture is not my issue here, but why is death any more of a punishment when we all have to die & knowing that death (of the body) means a complete eradication of any iota of life (in body, breath, mind, & senses). Often death is welcome, especially for the terminally ill or suffering, & whether or not one experiences a new pain-free joyful existence in the Lord's Presence or not, holds little attraction if there is no more consciousness in death or after it.
If death is the only punishment to the Christ-rejecter, then why do we all have to die? And if I might ask (verses that some don't care to address), why are there so many Scriptures to warn us that physical death is not the end (e.g. Matthew 5:22,29,30; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:10,11-15); all these pointing to the reality of an eternal torment? As one who doesn't believe in such an eternity, I ask you (as I've done in the past with others), why are these Scriptures rejected so as to support an emotion-charged belief rather than a biblical Truth? Why do we reject or re-write these passages to suit us, when they're given direct from the Mouth of our Lord?
Don't know where you get your teaching Elijiah serves as a double for the Son. Not bible. John the Baptist had the sane spirit as Elijiah which means he had the same words. Elijiah himself did not come down to John the Baptist, John had the same spirit as Elijiah. Elijiah visited Jesus and he will be coming back with Moses according to Revelation 11:6. Elijiah did not physically serve as a double for Jesus. That is like saying your earthly mother is serving as a double for your sister. It don't work that way. Samething in the bible. It is the spirit of words Elijiah that people had and not his person.
Rev 11:6] These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
Malachi 4:5] Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
[6] And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Matthew 17:10] And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
[11] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
[12] But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
[13] Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
Mark 9:4] And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
[5] And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
[6] For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
[7] And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
1John 1:3 John was speaking on the other side of the baptizmal of the Christ, he knew in power of being dead unto sin,
& the power of the resurrection of Christ within Him, joining Him to Christ & the Father John 17:21-24 in a consummate intimate fellowship which he explains to His children "that your joy maybe full, which they had & are experiencing in a measure; as they continue in the working out of their salvation, steadfast & confident unto the end.
We ourselve experience an increase in joy of this fellowship as He takes away our sin, & we don't return to them. His Presence increases in our lives, receving more of His Spirit by the hearing & obedience of Faith, which gives & increases us in what John say later "an understanding" 1John 5:20 & a part of this understanding is Philippians 4:13 which we have received.
Could non-believers read this epistles & become believers, of course; Mark 9:23 This is the heart of God Isa 49:6Acts 13:47
The whole world is corrupt beyond easure; whether it is what is within men's hearts; or the world system; or the demonic principalities and powers controlling the affairs of men. We have made idols of popular foods; actors and actresses; musicians and our general way of life which we desire to maintain at all costs.
Proverbs 14:34 says Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Whether it is grandma or her apple pie that brings us comfort only the Lord and those in Him will live forever and things in this life are fleeting. All desires of the flesh of beauty also are temporal along with any material goods that we obsess over. The Kingdom of Heaven is more than eating and drinking ( Romans 14:17) and for some reason the Gospel quote I am having difficulty finding. The point is the Holy Spirit must take over our minds and control our bodies and souls and put to death the old mind; otherwise known as mortifying the flesh ( Romans 8:13). Or as the quote mentioned in church today stated when the demon possessed child was to be healed "Lord help me with my unbelief". ( Mark 9:23 and following verses with anecdote).
Or as the song "How Deep the Father's Love" states in the end of the third stanza. "Ashamed I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers."
Those TRULY in the Lord will also recognize when the enemy is falsely accusing them of not knowing the Lord whenever a believer falls into sin or having fallen beyond redemption as another accusation. In my experience I have found that is a common way the Lord reigns me in to realize the sin that I've committed and to once again trust Him so that I am protected from the enemy's strongholds. Never try to outsmart the enemy.
Agape.
The purpose of the sex demons /incubus or succubus / is to cause delays, keep you stagnant and to steal your destiny. The first thing to do when you arise from sleep whether in the morning or at any other time is to say: I Renounce, Rebuke and Revoke every evil covenant formed in my sleep in YESHUA/ JESUS MIGHTY NAME. Amen. Do this every day.
This is will help you greatly. Another 5-10% of your problems will cease.
Pay attention to your dreams. Go to this guy on Youtube His biblical prayer interpretations are solid evangelist Joshua TV . He also gives good suggestions on what to do when you ve had certain dreams.
Ask GOD /YAH to help you to not eat or drink or exchange/ take anything in dreams as these are all covenants []
As you reclaim your rightful territory your neighbor will try to draw you out BUT Exchange no words , nor anything with the demon neighbors because it may seem normal to you BUT to him but he'll use it as a hook and an agreement to take back lost territory.
Make fasting and praying a regular occurence in your life [ Mark 9:29 ]
Regarding the monitoring spirits. Instantly rebuke them with fire [ Isaiah 66:15] and by the Blood of YESHUA/JESUS
Pray that your home and your self and space and everything concerning you be surrounded by an impenetrable wall of fire. [ Zechariah 2:5].
Say Psalm 91 daily.
Anoint your windows and doors [ Exodus 12:7] with olive oil and ask for angelic protection. Before you go to sleep. Say psalms of protection. And leave some of your lights on in your house.
Before you step foot outside prayer. And pay attention to your doorways and steps etc. When you go out and come back in ask for protection going in and coming out [ Deuteronomy 28:6]
Read The Word daily. Ask YAH/ GOD for Wisdom, understanding and knowledge and apply whatever HE shows you.
And go back to church especially if it is a church that does deliverance. It will be a major victory.
Matthew 13:50 - And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Revelation 20:14 - And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 - Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Revelation 20:10 - And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Psalms 145:20 - The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
Matthew 5:22 - But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Hebrews 10:26-31 - For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (Read More...)
Revelation 14:11 - And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Luke 16:19-31 - There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: (Read More...)
Luke 12:5 - But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him
COME LORD JESUS
Mark 9:42 - And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Again, the word offend is the Greek word SCANDALON. It is where we get out word scandal from, except in Greek it had to do with a stick that was used to prop up a box. And it was used like a trap spring so that when an animal would run underneath the box, they would pull the stick and the box would fall down and they would trap it.
Whosoever shall trap one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. That is pretty serious!
Mark 9:43 - And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
This is what's called a hyperbole in literature. Jesus says that if your hand offends you to cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands and to go into hell. This would be Gehenna, the Valley of Henon.
The Valley of Henon was just to the south of Jerusalem. It was the Valley that they used to offer their children up in sacrifice in the old days. But at this time when Jesus came, they were using it as the garbage dump. People just came and dumped their garbage into the Valley and it was constantly burning. It is called "The Valley Geh of Henon," or Gehenna. It is better for him to be maimed than to go into Gehenna, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mark 10:7 - For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
The word cleave is the word glue in the Greek text. Interesting!
Mark 9:29 - And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
And again, just like the Matthew text, that little phrase "and fasting" is added to many manuscripts. Originally it was just prayer, but if you keep the fasting in there that's not a problem. But just so you know, it is not part of a formula. What is the first thing Jesus said? He said the answer is, bring him to me, and if I am not here, pray! Bring him to me!
Mark 9:34 - But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Literally in the Greek, it is "who's the greater," showing comparison. It is not who is going to be first. It is comparing themselves with the other disciples as to who is the greater of them all.
Mark 9:35 - And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
So, Jesus sat down and called the twelve, and He said to them, If any man desire to be first (that is, the chief), the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. The word for servant is the word DIAKONOS. And that is where we get our English word deacon from. In Greek, it is the Greek word for a waiter, somebody who waits on tables in a restaurant, a server, without tips.
So, He says "if you want to be the chief." You see, in the Kingdom of Heaven, the frame of mind is different than the mind of the earth. He is saying your frame of mind is totally earthly. Who's going to be the greater? Jesus says let me show you what it is like in the Kingdom of God. If you desire to be chief, you will be last of all, and you will be the servant of everybody. In the Kingdom of Heaven, the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the one who's the slave and the server of everybody!
Mark 8:38 - Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Jesus said, Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and the word ashamed in Greek means to withdraw. It doesn't mean you are embarrassed. It means you draw back from the things of Christ. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, I'll withdraw from you (when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels). If you don't identify with me here, when you face me on Judgment Day, I am not going to identify with you!
Mark 9:2 - And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
The word transfigure is where we get our English word metamorphosis from. Metamorphosis, METAMORPHEO, means that Jesus didn't just change His exterior appearance, but He literally changed in form. He was no longer in His physical form. He was in His glorified state or resurrected body as some people like to think of it. He was transfigured and transformed before them.
Mark 9:11 - And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
The King James says Elias. That is transliteration of the Greek word. He is talking about Elijah. Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? The prophecy comes from Malachi 4:5-6.
Mark 9:17 - And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
Somebody from the crowd answers and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; that is, the demonic spirit keeps him from speaking.
John 16:8 And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned.
I have examined this verse in light of sin; but thought before I continue with the other two aspects of the verse in detail; I should mention that UNBELIEF is something that not only the world but all of us-in reality are in a state of before being regenerated; as that is the first role of the Holy Spirit. When Christ was present on earth; it was clear that after multitudes; presumably almost everyone in Israel knew of Christ's undeniable miracles ( John 11:47) and also of the Apostles ( Acts 4:16) that deliberate unbelief would be the precursor of blasphemy of the Holy Ghost; where Beelzebub was said to be the source of Christ's strength; or others such as the sons of Sceva and the sorcerer in Acts would attempt to gain this power in their own strength or attempt to get it through money. The end result; clearly didn't go too well for these individuals; and no forgiveness was offered for blasphemy of the Spirit ( Mark 3:29 said early in Christ's ministry). Christ said all things against Him or the Father could be forgiven ( Matt. 12:32) but not against the Holy Spirit-and that also is set for the future reign of the Lord on the earth as well. Let us all be as the man in Mark 9:24 and ask Jesus to help us with our unbelief!
Now as to righteousness. Jesus says because He goes to the Father and we no longer see Him that the Spirit testifies of righteousness. I would think this implies that all who truly know Christ now are as the result of the unseen work of the Spirit.
As odd as it seems; when Christ was here physically as to Him being God that had to be revealed from above.
"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." Luke 18:27 KJV
"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23 KJV
I pray you receive and accept God's word concerning your request. Amen.
Yes, the promises of healing still apply and are active. God does not change His mind concerning that He sent His only begotten son to save, HEAL and deliver. Now Jesus has rose from the dead and has all power in heaven and in earth, (not just in certain places) everywhere you believe or where ever there is faith there is healing and deliverance.
It takes time to be holy, if a believer does not yet have great faith to produce miracles, then grow the faith you have. It shows you have faith because you came to this website. Each day work and build up your most holy faith.
A large mountain is climbed one step at a time. Believe everyday, all day, commune with God in your heart, hold fast to your believeth that God loves you and is for you to be healed. Go to the doctor if you have to, but hold fast to your faith in God.
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 KJV
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." Matthew 21:21 KJV
"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Mark 9:23 KJV
"...but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." Isaiah 66:2 KJV
Faith works if you hold on to the faith. God is always standing by.
"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." Luke 18:27 KJV
As a believer, I, believe God concerning your prayer petition before God, and that,
"... he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 KJV
"O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah." Psalms 84:8 KJV
As a believer, I stand in agreement that God hears and answers prayers, Amen.
Transfiguration of Jesus at the mount throws up light beyond the glorious body, a building of God eternal in heavens. The disciples going to Emmaus would not have recognized the risen Jesus but they did and it had to do with the word. " Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?"( Luke 24:31-32). When Jesus opened their eyes they did know it was he indeed.
Then we have the mount itself to consider. "And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them."(v.2). As with the Sermon on the mount we have the high mountain which is the testimony of God and Jesus as the rock cut not with hands, signifying we are looking at the Word become flesh.
Mark mentions Moses and Elias " and they were talking with Jesus."(v.24). When Jesus explained the word of God to Cleopas and his companion, "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." ( Luke 24:27) Luke elsewhere gives an additional insight to the transfiguration."And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:/Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." Moses and Elias and Jesus are the three in glory in that specific moment of transfiguration while the three disciples, Peter James and John were in their physical bodies. In short, the Transfiguration is clear illustration of two worlds of the Spirit and of the flesh and blood operating simultaneously. The word concerning him sets prophets serving outside the timescale as we know the term. For this reason Jesus speaks of Elias,"But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him." (v.13) The ministry of Elias and Moses were as a double Jesus Christ
"And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us./ But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me./For he that is not against us is on our part." Lucan gospel also gives this incident.( Luke 9:48-50)
Principle of Association is reconciling all things in heaven and on earth. "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;/And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."(Col.1:10) The Mind of Christ is to see in his light so his name is preeminent whether persons places or events, whichever is named is subject to him. For this reason he rebuked Peter who was viewing his master as one who must be protected from all harm. "Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."(7:33)
Jesus Christ was anointed the Christ above all others." Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre./Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."(Ps.45:6-7) As a Son he chose all those who were called and as the Son of man he made manifest grace and truth. So he would after transfiguring before the three disciple tell them, "And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead."(v.9)
The disciples did not understand its significance. They had to go a longway in their discipleship.
Mark states the principle of Association which is in an altered from than what is presented by St Matthew. "And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them," Jesus sets a child representing the twelve and St Matthew presents the principle accordingly, before he sent them to preach, "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." (Matt.10:40). Jesus taking the child in his arms is how we are set in his hands so both Gospels are referring the selfsame idea. In terms of the quality God set his name every other name because he was a child in his obedience. Putting on the mind of Christ is therefore proving your parentage. At the mount of Transfiguration he received the testimony of his Father, "And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him."(v.7). The earth and the fulness thereof belong to God which makes all things in heaven and on earth by him consist. "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." therefore is not to be measured by earthly time but as set forth in the divine Will. As the Word which was from the beginning ( John 1:1) it pleased God that in him should all Fullness dwell.
"And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus."(v.4) Demonstrative of this we have Moses and Elias meeting Jesus at the mount. Before the Advent of Jesus they were sent as stand in for him and while at the mount their roles are reversed! It is how the two worlds of the Spirit and of the flesh and blood revolve about a stationary point of the Son and of the Son of man. Now we shall understand why Jesus said, in vv.38-39. His disciples did not have this 360 degree view while Jesus understood his name before which all knees should bow (Ph.2:5-9) rose above their partisan spirit. They still had a long way to go .
Here we have a saying that must prove as Euclid's Elements proposed pons asinorum for the medieval students; and here we have one as similar for those who approach the word of God by intellect and explain the meanings literally. Here are three injunctions stated by Jesus Christ: "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off" (v.43) secondly, "And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off" (v.45) and finally, And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out."(v.47). The Spirit gives the same formula after the three sayings that makes it special and to be understood as of grave importance. In v.44,v.46 and in v.48 "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.". Seven messages to the churches end with the same line, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;."(Re.2:7). If the formula is specifically applied to the churches what shall we make of Jesus gives at the end of the Parable of the Sower? "And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."(4:9,23;Matt.13:9) "It is to his disciples unto whom grace is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. This formula forms a hedge about, a caveat for whosoever would want to enter the kingdom of God. In this context the Spirit while presenting the 'seven days' from the everlasting covenant in Ge.Ch.1 we have this at the end of each 'day', "And the evening and the morning were...".(1:5,8,13,19,23,31). Where was these leading us to? "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Seventh day explains that He blessed whosoever would enter therein in his Son.(Ge.2:3) The hand foot and the eye refers to the body of the church or the Bride. Hence both gospels of St Mark and Matthew sets these sayings in context of offending 'these little ones that believe in me"(9:41-42; Matt.18:6)
"Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."
Salt is compared to life which could be lived to no purpose or to life abundant. The word of God warned Lot and his family to go forward but Mrs Lot would rather live in the past. "Remember Lot's wife," serves as a warning to all those who holds no vision as Abraham has had. "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." He.11:10. So living in tents as pilgrims and sojourners his vision ever led him forth so much so heaven in the Parable of Jesus is compared to Abraham's bosom.
In vv28-50 the Spirit mentions the house as separate from the world. "And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?" As with parables the mysteries were not for those who had no appreciation for the saltiness of their soul. Killing time in mindless pursuits is what they call as having good time. From the edge of their lost contents they may sent postcards telling,'wish you were here!'. In the house the disciples would press their masters for answers so they did have a sound base upon which they could build up, "Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."
vv.33-34 There was oneupmanship among them. How often did they forget that they could nothing without their master? The house is a synonym for abiding life as in the Parable of the 'I am the true vine.' ( John 15:3) They were yet to understand the principle of Association. Charity of giving a glass of water is in the connection between the one in need and God in heaven. "Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me." False shepherds wax eloquent over 1 Co.13 and let not their Jesus talk fool anyone. Without abiding life in Christ it is for their own glory.
"And I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not./He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me."
Jesus' call,"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," includes not only the twelve but whosoever is called, and according to the scriptures (which hinges on the blessings spelt forth in the covenant,) is expected to respond.The living soul would mean whosoever valued truth above what is seen or temporal so life of the Spirit sets the polestar for his onward voyage. "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."(Re.22:16). It is thus the inner man presents the gospel to man. Faith with works renders him hold Jesus Christ as the Captain of his salvation and run the race so the only life he seeks is beyond life of the senses. Peter merely responded to the question and answered correctly, "Thou art the Christ."(8:29) Shortly there after he shows he was still struggling to find his feet in the matter of discipleship. Rebuking him Jesus said,"for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."(8:33). Peter and the rest had a long way to go but the promise was that they lived by grace, from his fullness. Wherever they fumbled Jesus was ther as in the case of the demon possessed boy, Jesus would say, "bring him unto me".
"Let him deny himself" also meant the disciples were amenable to correction. "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."( John 3: 21). Peter had to bear his cross, and denial of Christ was in the past for Jesus forgave his lapse and placed the flock under his care. "Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."
"And how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought." (v.12)
This key verse shall explain this saying of Jesus. It also tells how vital was for the multitude that he called them as well as his disciples, so it goes to the very core of the kingdom of God. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it./For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"(8:34-36). For my sake and for the gospel's sake is distinct from the Son for whom 'this day' is decreed. (Ps.2:7) So the gospel and the Word become flesh, the Son of man fulfills the provision of 'the seven days' in the everlasting covenant.
What God has sanctified covers the body of Christ and the duration of which is 'this day'. God was from the beginning and the Word was with him. Because of Adam and his disobedience sin entered into the world so with obedience what Jesus proved was the excellence of the soul which is the earnest of divine sovereignty of soul. Life of the vile body cannot let go "I will" So when the pomp and circumstance of the king of Tyre wants to impose his will he proves to whom he holds affinity. His will worship sets him as the son of perdition. "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire./Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." (Ez.28:14-16; "I will be like the most High./Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell."-Is.14:14-15)
God made man a living soul, and the life is what the Word become flesh made manifest. Humility of Jesus set at nought his own body after the likeness of men. So redemption of one's soul has only single way into the kingdom of God. "I am the Way" Ph.2:5-9)
"That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power."
St Matthew also gives this and both converge to the transfiguration of Jesus, the baseline on which whosoever enters into the kingdom of God shall have in common. Both gospels give the tag, 'After six days' is where the Son and the Son of man merges in terms of the Word. Thus when Jesus holds his disciples to secrecy it is to the spiritual body that awaits him. In short Peter James and John representing all his brethren/Associates are given a preview of this kingdom coming with power. "for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."( Luke 12:32). Little flock, servants, associates are stages of development in the life of anyone who wants to follow the Son of man. By the same token Moses Elias David,Isaiah Ezekiel John serve as double for the Son of man since God had foreknown them 'according to the scriptures' so what they said or did was in obedience to the Son who was the Word. At this high mountain where Jesus transfigured was a foretaste of what was to come. Coming with power also was within the frame of reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That makes Joel also as a double. In short principle of Association is like a stone thrown in a pool causes the ripple widening to fill the whole extent. The bread from heaven cast forth in Ec.11:1-2 refers to the Son of man.
Bearing our cross and following him we enter the kingdom with power so our spiritual bodies, a building of God eternal in heavens we are to keep in sights. The same transfiguration as Jesus made manifest is our earnest as with the indwelling Spirit is our confidence."For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."(2 Co.5:4-5)
Unbelieving: The first verse that comes to mind here is the man with a son that had a demon possessed son who was being thrown into water; etc. That passage is Mark 9:24 and the whole incident is worth reading to understand further how there was rampant lack of faith as well as preparation for casting out the demon. REALIZING we have unbelief results from the Holy Spirit changing us; it is not what is often a false gospel of not having faith enough for a family member to be healed; or some power trip by a ministry more interested in notoriety and ultimately greedy for gain with someone given a title of "healer". We can say at the time of Christ it was indeed foolish not to believe He could work any miracles including bringing one back from death; because it was only rejecting His claim of Divinity that a person could reject Him which shows the depths of blindness of the Pharisees. The core issue which remains the same is the fact that we are all as "filthy rags" ( Isaiah 64:6) and this includes our so called "good deeds".
Abominable: Luke 16:15 shows what men hold as esteemed is an abomination before God. To esteem something shows a sort of prideful mentality; acclaim and praise is something Christ warned about in numerous passages (see Luke 6:26; another passage in this book as one example). Even calling Christ good implies that he as a mere man or prophet is good; and Christ makes it clear only God alone is good ( Mark 10:18). This is what is so dangerous about anyone who men praise; not only do they almost always practice false theology but we are convinced our own righteousness will justify us in the day of judgment.
No wonder Satan appearing as an angel of light fools lost souls ( 2 Cor. 11:14).
Today in Sunday school someone mentioned that before prayer it is good to say "Lord I don't love you; or other people (fill in the blank). Alas some with a spiritual gift of compassion would find what I am saying repulsive. We all can apply this principle to scripture reading as well "help me with my unbelief" ( Mark 9:24); or "God be merciful to me a sinner" ( Luke 18:13).
Since we are reading the "living Word" ( John 1:1) it behooves us to focus on our Lord and Savior and how much He suffered for our benefit. It also is important that we trust the Lord and also His Word as being truth and something we can lean on. Trusting in the Lord and not our own understanding ( Proverbs 3:5-6) is something we need to discuss in more detail.
Assuming we have a legitimate faith and basic understanding that the Bible is the truth and we live on that premise we could say that we trust the Lord. That of course is easier said than done; we can suddenly find ourselves overwhelmed by circumstances and allow our emotions to dictate through either a "fight or flight" mentality. This is true if we face martyrdom or serious persecution; but as with anything else the Lord usually leads us through the valleys of everyday trials and stresses to teach us to trust Him more for those big things. We can look at scripture for these examples with the 12 Apostles and their growth through Christ's earthly ministry then after Pentacost; or look at the kings of Israel with all their sins exposed for us to see.
There are a few who don't have sins mentioned; it is noteworthy that only Moses seems to be a Prophet whose sins were mentioned and the consequence of not being able to enter the Promised Land. David technically prophesied as well about the Messiah in the Psalms in particular and his personal sins and immediate consequences out the for us to see. These; of course are examples for us all ( 1 Cor. 10:11).
Having a healthy fear of God (to come part 3
The Spirit refers to God as He "who maketh clouds his chariot". (Is.19:1; Ps 104:3) Singularity of the Spirit renders the clouds as visible form of the invisible aspect of God. This also serve as witnesses an in the vision of Daniel, " I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him."( Dan 7:13)
(See entry under B: Behold)
We have another instance where the clouds serve as witness. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him."(Re.1:7).
Whenever a voice from heaven testified Jesus as 'my beloved Son' symbolic presence of God was in a bright cloud. "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.(Matt.17:5) ( Mark 9:7). When the rider on the white horse finally appears in Re.19 the cloud is conspicuous by absence. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war."(Re.19:11). Instead we have an army of saints in white.
2.
Cloud is the glory of God when manifested. His strength is in the clouds (Ps.68:34). Stephen "looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,"(Ac.7:55-56) This Father Son relationship is transcribed into tokens explain the spiritual significance of the clouds. Clouds a natural phenomena doubles as a sign.
Glory of the word that stretched the skies was present at the dedication of the Temple.(Is.40:22) In order to instruct us the Spirit sets the cloud as a sign there. God set His approval when King Solomon dedicated it to him.", that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,/ So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud."(1 Ki.8:10-12)
Luke 16:31 And he said unto them, if they hear not MOSES and the PROPHETS, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose
from the dead.
Acts 24:14 But this I confess unto you, that after the way they (the church) call HERESY, so worship I the God of my fathers; believing ALL THINGS written in the LAW and the PROPHETS.
Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, they came many unto him in his lodging, to whom he expounded and testified the KINGDOM of GOD, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses,and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Most don't believe ALL THINGS written in MOSES and the PROPHETS.
Psalms 149:9 To execute upon them the judgement written, this honoru hath all his saints.
Isaiah 26:9 ... for when thy judgements (administered by the saints) are in the earth (second resurrection), the world WILL LEARN righteousness.
Psalms 22:27 All the ends of the world SHALL REMEMBER (when they are resurrected and judged by the saints) AND TURN (repent) unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
Isaiah 66:24 And they (the saints) shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me, for their (the saints) WORM shall not die; neither shall their (the saints') FIRE be quenched, and they (the saints) shall be and abhorring to all flesh.
Job 25:6 And much less man, that is a worm?and the son or man WHICH IS A WORM.
Psalms 22:6 .... But I am a worm .....
Mark 9:46 Where their WORM dieth not, nor is the FIRE quenched.
Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Matthew 13:34 ... and without a parable he spake he not unto them......
The whole word of God is Christ speaking.
Psalms 78:2 I will open my mouth in a PARABLE: I will open my DARK SAYINGS of the harps (his people)
God Bless you
This seems pretty clear to me and hard to misunderstand it unless someone tries to twist it.
If someone doesn't believe punishment is eternal then maybe someone should likewise question whether heaven is eternal, because this verse states them both as being everlasting / eternal.
The Bible says the soul will die, the 2nd death, perish, etc. But how do you know that's not the eternal part, or how can you prove that God allows someone to actually suffer without a soul, etc. Basically people are just speculating, and its not going to get very far.
But perhaps we can all agree that hell is bad and heaven is good? Hell is punishment and something to be avoided, and we need Jesus to avoid it. John 3:16 says this.
Revelation 20:10 - And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
You can safely say some will be tormented day and night for ever and ever, because that's literally what this verse says.
Mark 9:43-48 - unquenching fire- you can safely say that hell isn't immediately going away, either. It's likely in full operation.
Revelation 14:11 - And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Daniel 12:1-2 ever lasting life vs ever lasting contempt
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 everlasting destruction. This might debunk the human reasoning idea that death or being destroyed must only happen in a short timeframe. This says it can happen 'ever lasting' which seems long term or eternal. So, this verse now explains all the other verses where it makes sense.
Revelation 14:11 smoke of their torment for ever and ever. That doesn't sound immediate or short term to me, but forever.
God bless you.
The fire that shall never be quenched means it is irreversible. Look at the remains of sodom and Gomorrah that can be seen today. There are outlines of the buildings in the area near the Dead Sea. Archeological proof of the wrath of God.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and its outlying towns have been a permanent destruction. This is an object lesson for us.
Mark 9:43
"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:"
Firstly, on the name 'Gehenna', otherwise called the "Valley of Hinnom", the Encyclopaedia definition is quite correct about the purpose why that area was set aside. It was indeed a place for the burning of refuse & the dead. And yes, it meant that they were all annihilated - no more evidence except dust & ashes. So, it can mean 'annihilation', but Gehenna can also mean 'a place of burning where the fires are never quenched'. And we know that the body is disposed of there, but what about the immaterial parts of man that remains accountable to God? And you also referenced a verse I quoted in Matthew 10:28. Taken on its own, that verse could well support your belief of a complete extermination of body, soul & spirit.
But it was for that very reason that I gave you the other verses to look up & consider. Not only was Matthew 10:28 Jesus' Words, but also Matthew 5:22,29,30; Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:10,11-15. You didn't take these into account. And we know, as I trust you are conversant, that when we deal with a topic or a doctrine from the Bible, we need to take in all the references that deal specifically with it. Unfortunately, our natural human instinct is to accept only those that we find palatable or in agreement with, thus distorting the teaching from the Word.
So, if you would care to look at those other verses & see how they affect your understanding of Matthew 10:28, I would be very interested. It's only when we consider all verses on a subject, can we get a fuller picture of it meaning & its implications. However, sometimes there aren't too many verses to help us learn about the subject - in such cases we can't force a teaching by them & just leave the subject open. Yet, not so with these important doctrines of the Deity of Christ & human existence & punishment after death.
(Part 2):
In Luke 16:19-31, we read about the rich man and Lazarus. What I notice is that they both died. It speaks of the rich man being in Hades, and being in torment. What is interesting if you read through that section, the rich man can feel, he can speak, he can see, he can remember, and he is in torment. Notice in Verse 26 that there is a great gulf fixed and no one is able to cross over from one side to the other. There is no hope for those on the opposite side of Abraham's bosom. The question here is, why didn't the rich man cease to exist when he died?
In Mark 9:43-47, even though this is not literally talking about plucking your eye out or cutting off your hand, it does speak of some entering into life, and some being cast into Hell. If the wicked one who has rejected Christ dies and ceases to exist, how can he be cast into Hell?
In Revelation 20:5, it tells us that the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. Obviously, there must have been a previous resurrection because this talks about the rest of the dead not being resurrected until after the 1,000-year reign. How can those who cease to exist be resurrected? How do you raise or resurrect something that does not exist?
John 5:29 says, "And come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." Again, how do you resurrect and judge someone that does not exist?
Again, in Luke 16:28, the rich man says, "For I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment." This rich man is in a place of torment. He did not cease to exist when he died. Why not?
I just have a few more questions if you don't mind, so I will need one more post.
Actually Shabbat Keeper, I wasn't intending to bring up the Rapture debate here, as it has been well discussed over the years. Rather, I was intending to give, maybe a rather flimsy example of a type of Gospel message, telling unbelievers that "when we turn to the Lord for forgiveness of our sins & receiving Christ into our life, then we will not face (physical) death, but just be raptured (caught up, as with Enoch/Elijah), to forever be with him". Here then would be something for the unbeliever to consider, because as sure as day turns into night, we all (believer & unbeliever alike) will face death - whether this thought leaves an 'icky' feeling in us depends on how we view death. So, rapture is not my issue here, but why is death any more of a punishment when we all have to die & knowing that death (of the body) means a complete eradication of any iota of life (in body, breath, mind, & senses). Often death is welcome, especially for the terminally ill or suffering, & whether or not one experiences a new pain-free joyful existence in the Lord's Presence or not, holds little attraction if there is no more consciousness in death or after it.
If death is the only punishment to the Christ-rejecter, then why do we all have to die? And if I might ask (verses that some don't care to address), why are there so many Scriptures to warn us that physical death is not the end (e.g. Matthew 5:22,29,30; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:10,11-15); all these pointing to the reality of an eternal torment? As one who doesn't believe in such an eternity, I ask you (as I've done in the past with others), why are these Scriptures rejected so as to support an emotion-charged belief rather than a biblical Truth? Why do we reject or re-write these passages to suit us, when they're given direct from the Mouth of our Lord?
Rev 11:6] These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
Malachi 4:5] Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
[6] And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Matthew 17:10] And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
[11] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
[12] But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
[13] Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
Mark 9:4] And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
[5] And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
[6] For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
[7] And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
From Adam till the present, what is the SIN that separates man from God.
UNBELIEF
Adam didn't believe God's word.
National Israel didn't believe God's word.
Promised Israel today doesn't believe God's Word.
Paul was struggling with this same sin, UNBELIEF.
Romans 11:32 For God HATH concluded THEM ALL (including Paul) in UNBELIEF, that he may have MERCY ON ALL.
Proverbs 16:6 By MERCY and TRUTH iniquity (unbelief) is PURGED.
1 Timothy 1:13 Who (Paul) was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in UNBELIEF.
Romans 11:30 For YE in times past HAVE NOT BELIEVED GOD, yet have now obtained mercy because of their UNBELIEF.
Mark 9:24 .... Lord ....help thou my UNBELIEF .......
Matthew 17:20 ...because of your UNBELIEF .....
Every SIN is CAUSED by UNBELIEF.
God Bless YOU!
1John 1:3 John was speaking on the other side of the baptizmal of the Christ, he knew in power of being dead unto sin,
& the power of the resurrection of Christ within Him, joining Him to Christ & the Father John 17:21-24 in a consummate intimate fellowship which he explains to His children "that your joy maybe full, which they had & are experiencing in a measure; as they continue in the working out of their salvation, steadfast & confident unto the end.
We ourselve experience an increase in joy of this fellowship as He takes away our sin, & we don't return to them. His Presence increases in our lives, receving more of His Spirit by the hearing & obedience of Faith, which gives & increases us in what John say later "an understanding" 1John 5:20 & a part of this understanding is Philippians 4:13 which we have received.
Could non-believers read this epistles & become believers, of course; Mark 9:23 This is the heart of God Isa 49:6 Acts 13:47
in love & truth
Grace be to you