Dear Cindy davis, you must know that, though God will be by your side and help you all the way, it is you who must stop drinking. You can do this by just not taking another drink, or seek help from your pastor, or AA. Put forth an honest effort and God will give you victory. Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Thank you Jimbob for taking the time to pore through my submission, though I'm sorry that you weren't able to see what I see in the Scriptures. From the many other views we get on this subject, we see that we all can have our different Scriptures that show us how we should perceive these last days.
Even the Revelation 14:14-16 passage you quoted, referring to the harvest being the Church; if this is the Rapture, why then did the Church have to experience the previous judgements of God (in Revelation 6:1-17: Seal Judgements; Revelation 8:1-9:21: Trumpet Judgements). These can't be the ordinary, everyday turmoils that Earth's inhabitants face, but specific Judgements from God and then the sickle is struck for the harvesting (& of course, some are cast into the winepress of God's Wrath).
So brother, I don't want to continually rehash the earlier passages we've written about, as clearly we read these prophetical messages differently. My understanding is that the Great Tribulation of seven years (the last week seen in Daniel's prophecy), which includes God's Wrath in its various phases & intensities, will come after the Church is removed; even as promised to the Philadelphian Church in Revelation 3:10.
The anti-Christ (at least at the beginning of his reign of terror to his opponents), & the beginning of God's Judgements ( Revelation 6,8,9), assure our hearts that the Rapture of the Church can happen suddenly, without any signs to prepare for that day. The call is for our expectant joyous living & readiness now, as even the early Church was to urged to expect ( Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:13; James 5:8; Revelation 1:3) - not for our awakening when things begin to get very difficult in the course of the final seven years. The call was always for believers' readiness - we couldn't be in such a state if we know that much more needs to happen before the Lord's Coming/Rapture of the Church - death might overtake most of us before then.
d. the revelation of the anti-Christ is restrained ( 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Paul's reason for writing this was because the Church was greatly troubled that the Day of the Lord (Christ) had begun. Paul said that that day wouldn't commence until Jesus came for them & raptured them ("our gathering together unto him": v1). The 'restrainer' is the Holy Spirit in God's people, then when He is removed, God's people are removed, for the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell us & work in & through us & for the Gospel's propagation ( John 16:7,8,13).
e. a comparison between an imminent Rapture & Rapture at the Second Coming:
1. Translation of all believers ( 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18) --- No translation at all ( Revelation 19:6-21).
2. Raptured saints return to Heaven ( 1 Thessalonians 4:17; John 14:1-3) --- Raptured saints return to Earth ( 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Revelation 19:14).
3. Any moment, in readiness, without signs ( 1 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:13; James 5:7-9; Revelation 3:11, 22:7,12,20) --- many signs given of the Great Tribulation which leads into Jesus' coming (so a readiness cannot be expected, as the seven year's count down begins with the anti-Christ).
A Pre-Tribulation Rapture position keeps the Church ready & watching for her Lord's Coming. Any other position can give her the tendency to apathy & carelessness. The Church is told to be watchful, in spite of ridicule, "where is the promise of his coming" ( 2 Peter 3:4). But Christ's coming is held back until the full number are saved (v9) - and then Jesus will come to take His Church Home.
Thanks again Jimbob. If I might take our discussion to anothe level. One great fact of the Church's Rapture, is not only its imminency but its suddenness. In the NT, the command was for readiness ( Matthew 25:13 (10 virgins); Luke 12:40; Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:13), for Christ's coming. The early Church was expecting it & proclaiming it, but the scoffers, then & now have proved themselves right ( 2 Peter 3:3,4) - Jesus hadn't come, nor has history ever recorded such a 'parousia' ever taking place. But the Church still continues to wait, knowing that God's Word is True & that God's Time is never man's concept of time ( 2 Peter 3:8). Therefore the question: why should we await for the any-moment return of Jesus, if that return could be quite easily plotted by the 'falling away', the appearance of the anti-Christ, even the beginning of the Great Tribulation (of God's Wrath which you believe only includes those catastrophic events of Matthew 24:29; Revelation chapter 16)?
There IS fear in love; but perfect love does NOT cast out fear; because LOVE hath torment. HE that loveth IS made perfect in fear. I must choose one or the other as to which is true and eternal; from the Voice for God.
The truth is true and nothing else is true. This statement has two parts: without the first, the second has no meaning, but without the second, is the first no longer true. Truth cannot have an opposite. This can not be too often said and thought about. For if what is not true is true as well as what is true, then part of truth is false. And truth has lost its meaning. Nothing but the truth is true, and what is false is false. Truth must be true throughout, if it be true. It cannot contradict itself, nor be in parts uncertain and in others sure. What God creates has no alternative. The truth arises from what He KNOWS; not what we perceive.
Perception has a focus.It is this that gives consistency to what we see. Change but this focus, and what we behold will change accordingly. When seeing a wholly sinless world is ALL we want to see, when this is ALL we seek for in the name of true perception, are the eyes of Christ inevitably ours. What the body's eyes see/perceive is only conflict.
Much of our strange behavior is directly attributable to our definition of guilt; we've accepted the belief the guiltless are guilty. Love and guilt cannot coexist, and to accept one is to deny the other. Guilt hides Christ from our sight, for it is the denial of the blamelessness of God' children. Love creates Itself and nothing but Itself. To the "devil" purity is seen as arrogance and the acceptance of the self as sinful is perceived as holiness. TEACH ONLY LOVE.
Romans 2:11Romans 13:10Eph. 1:4Eph. 5:14Eph. 3:17-19Eph. 4:29Philippians 4:8Titus 1:15 2 James 3:17-181 John 1:5 1 1 John 4:7-8
If we were to apply that, it means God is a transactional God, of which that will be very wrong considering Psalm 50 vs12
Psalms 50:11-12
[11]I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
[12]If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. When we give to God we do it as a way of thanking Him for what he has already done for our salvation, John 3vs 16 The love he bestowed upon the sinners granting us sonship John 1 vs 12
What can we give in exchange for that..
Psalms 50:14
[14]Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: As Christ is rhe head of the body(His church) Visible and functional in this world he knows and supplies our needs, and when we pray we pray accordingly being led by the Holy Spirit giving glory to the Father
Hi Karen. When reading Philippians 4:14-19, in the context there, as you rightly wrote, the Church was mindful of the apostle's physical needs, providing help to him probably more than a couple of times than indicated in these verses. That occasion gives us a Divine Truth: that when God's people are sensitive to His Spirit's Leading, deeply immersed in the Word & Prayer, then the outcome will always be a generosity far surpassing simply the act of giving or doing so to appease one's conscience. We see the first instance of this in Acts 4:32-25, where the fledgling Church, filled with God's Spirit, "were of one heart & soul" and they knew that their possessions were not their own (i.e. they realized that all things that they possessed belonged to and came from God for their use). With such a mind & spirit, they immediately looked out for one another, even selling houses & land so that the proceeds could benefit others among them in need.
Even though the full extent of that particular example of sacrificial love may be infrequent today, the Truth of that renewed heart & spirit in believers urged them to look out to others, when formerly it was always 'me first or what's mine is mine'. So when we give with a generous spirit, sensing the real needs within the Church (& of course, outside it), being led of God's Spirit, we can trust that God will always "supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". Even as we read in James 4:3, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts", implying when our motives are wrong & not aligned with what is God's best for us, we shouldn't be surprised when we're left with prayers unanswered & floundering in our sparsity. And of course, "godliness WITH contentment is great gain" ( 1 Timothy 6:6): we should be content with what God has given us, even though we have very little & can't or could never 'keep up with the Jones' '.
We are to put to death the deeds of the sinful nature. This is the outcome of the work of Christ on the cross- that we can have victory over personal sin. It is the result of walking in the Spirit. ( Romans 6-8). To fail to mortify the sinful nature in us is to give in to Satan and follow his lead instead of the lead of the Holy Spirit. Let us honor the covenant Jesus made with His blood, knowing that we can never come before God on our own righteousness, but stand before our heavenly Father with the righteousness of Jesus imputed upon us. This does not excuse us from the responsibility to live as children of the Light. We are to put into practice the power of grace in this life to say no to ungodliness and yes to what God has determined is holy and pure and righteous and noble and of good report, whatever is true, whatever is lovely, whatever is praiseworthy, think on these things and do the works of God ( Philippians 4:8-9) This is how we love God and love one another. This is what we will be doing in eternity. We may as well learn to love all that is holy and good now so we can bless others and hopefully win some for Christ.
Yes, God is so great we can no even imagine the extent of His greatness!
But I must say, God is God and not a man. He is purely divine in His nature without any mixture of human substance.
The Son incarnated in human flesh and nature as Jesus. But the Son's nature remains wholly divine and yet now has a human nature, too. But the human nature is an add on to His Person and is not mixed with His divine nature in Jesus.
Jesus is forever now a united two-natured person-both fully God and fully man.
God is so good and powerful. He strengthens our souls and we just have to trust in him. He is so good and He protects us from all bad and wrongdoing. He is such a good Man. The only thing you should fear is Him, God, the One, and Almighty.
Hello Tyler. I'm sorry to read of this 'hole' that you're stuck in, where nothing seems to be enjoyable to you or even worth pursuing. There are probably a whole bunch of reasons why we humans feel or behave in certain ways, whether it's in our genes, our family situation, our environment, lack of opportunities in life, even when there's no one to help & encourage us in some positive direction. I can relate somewhat to what you've written, as I've had a reasonably sheltered life (at least in my younger years), as far as friendships, interests or hobbies, even having parents who were very reserved in their lives & activities & what we kids were allowed to engage in.
There's no specific Scripture(s) that I can give that would help you, except to keep the matter before the Lord for His Work in your life, and also to extend yourself in some way or reach out to others (however difficult this might be for you), that might trigger the otherwise repressed motivation impulse in you.
The general verses that come to mind are: Psalm 37:5; Proverbs 17:22; Matthew 5:16; Galatians 6:9; Philippians 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Peter 5:7.
Some folk in this type of predicament might even visit a therapist, who would help identify any underlying emotional or other health problems & offer suggestions to kick-start your drive to trying out new things. Yet, some things in life require discipline; just as you would need to prepare food or clean the house, so too spending some time in Bible reading & prayer is very important. It's always an interesting journey when you commit this time to God & expect Him to reveal something special to you - this alone should motivate you, just as you are driven to feed yourself or live in a clean home. I pray that you might get a clear direction from the Lord & to pursue something that will bring glory to His Name & bless someone else in need.
God is a rewarder of those who do good and we are commanded to believe this ( Heb. 11:6). The same can be said about the reward of evildoers ( Matthew 6:2 is an example but not the best of how the Pharisees have their reward now and that assumes they suffer eternal loss later; for some reason I can't find better cross reference but it's there somewhere).
In any event there is no mutually exclusive indicator with any of the heavenly authority or rewards Christ promises even though women aren't specifically mentioned. Certainly the Canaanite women in Matthew 15:21-28 had great faith and was only one of 2 Christ noted had this who asked for a healing in scripture. So clearly women can have great faith. It is unclear exactly HOW we will fulfill our roles in the Millennium and beyond ruling over cities; for example or even in heavenly places for eternity.
Whether women and men will do similar or somewhat different things isn't clear. We see Rahab also (even with her "vocation" attached to her name) as one of the "heroes of the faith" in Heb. 11. We are certainly an interesting group of "misfits" that God chooses for His purposes.
Whatever the future holds; we as Paul can be "content" in any and all situations. ( Philippians 4:12). God knows what He is doing; thankfully and saves us from ourselves and there will be no more contention and strife in the Kingdom. Hopefully we can all learn to get along now in the meantime..
Please God intervene and allow Ketana sister Jada overcome this affliction on her body that she will be a testimony for the Your Glory. Please Holy Spirit enrich Jada with Your Gifts during this time of affliction and going forward in her life I pray in the name of Jesus Christ!!
Please consider reflecting on John 16:33, James 1: 2-4, Philippians 4:12-13, and Matthew 6:33.
Hello James. Sorry to read of your poor health & the confusions & contradictions that are overwhelming you. I would hold onto the Lord Jesus' Words: to 'come to Him if you're over-laden with the cares, concerns & burdens of this life - He promises His rest to all who come.' ( Matthew 11:28). Even in ill-health & hopelessness, Jesus' Peace can over-rule our hearts & minds & give us a certainty of His involvement in our lives & a future where heart-ache & pain will be no more. ( John 14:27; John 16:33; Philippians 4:6,7; Revelation 21:3,4).
And that is wonderful, that you are persisting in reading God's Word, for therein are the words of Truth & Life. The Promises of God are "yea & in Him Amen" (i.e. they are certain & will not fail); I pray that you will really come to the point of placing your complete trust & hope in Jesus, for He truly is the Answer, the only Answer, to all of our sins, sorrows, hopes & dreams.
To your questions:
a. I think you're quoting Revelation 22:4, "And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." I picked this verse, as the verses that give the mark of the beast don't apply to the believer in Christ, for if he were present at that time & faithful to the Lord & not to Satan, he would refuse that mark and bear the consequences. In Revelation 22:4, I can't be sure whether there is a physical imprint of Jesus' Name there, or this verse speaks metaphorically. Just as how the mark of the Anti-Christ will be made to appear on all those who wish to follow him & continue to live & not die under his rule.
It is interesting but unimportant who the scribe was that penned Phillippians. God Himself is the author of Phillippians. And every word in the original autograph is the Word of God. As is every word in the entire Bible. This is why we are commanded to compare scripture with scripture in order to come to truth. The Bible is its own dictionary and its own interpreter. And we must approach the Bible recognizing that the Bible is ONE BOOK with ONE AUTHOR. Holy men of old wrote as they were moved by God The Holy Spirit. The Bible is not the word of Paul or Peter or Mark or Luke or Jeremiah. It is indeed THE WORD OF GOD.
Also, if I may share this. Philippians was written around 63 A.D. while Paul was under house arrest in Rome for two years, as recorded in Acts 28:16-31.
This is his first imprisonment. His second imprisonment was of course in the dungeon and he was killed right after that time.
Philippians is one of four prison epistles or letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon were written by Paul during this time that he was under house arrest in Rome.
After Paul wrote the letter, it was carried to Philippi by Epaphroditus on his return trip.
I'm not sure if that's a question or a statement but if it's a question, I would say that Philippians was written by Paul mainly. But he also signs Timothy on.
He has Timothy with him. He also has Luke with him. But he says Paul and Timothy are the authors of the letter. Paul's inscription is on all thirteen of his letters.
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. Philippi became the first European city to receive the gospel. The church at Philippi was founded during Paul's second missionary journey, recorded in Acts 16:8-12.
Epaphroditus was a messenger. He was also believed to be a pastor of the church in Philippi. Paul seems to have visited the church in Philippi twice. That is found in II Corinthians 1:16; Acts 19:21; Acts 20:1-3.
The church in Philippi sent Paul two love offerings for his missionary endeavors in Thessalonica, found in Philippians 4:15-16.
In fact, Paul said nobody else sent for support except for the Christians in Philippi, not once he said, but twice to support the missionary effort.
In 62 AD Paul finds himself as a prisoner in Rome. That is in Acts 28:30-31.
When the church heard of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, they again sent a love offering to him by way of Epaphroditus. Paul describes him as the pastor or messenger, the one that gives the messages in Philippi.
So Epaphroditus is sent 700 miles with this love offering to help Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome, and to minister to Paul there.
While in Rome, Epaphroditus became very sick and nearly died. At this time, some 10 years after his original visit to Philippi, Paul wrote the epistle of Philippians.
Paul writes to the Philippians both to thank them for their gift and also to report the good news of Epaphroditus' recovery.
Dear Annamae, It's hard, I know, but we must not go by the way we feel. Philippians 4:6-7. Just because we feel that God is far from us doesn't mean He is. He has promised to never leave us. Psalm 118:6. The devil will cause you to feel the way you do to disrupt your relationship with God. Here are a few weapons to use against him.
James 4:7 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment
thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Even the Revelation 14:14-16 passage you quoted, referring to the harvest being the Church; if this is the Rapture, why then did the Church have to experience the previous judgements of God (in Revelation 6:1-17: Seal Judgements; Revelation 8:1-9:21: Trumpet Judgements). These can't be the ordinary, everyday turmoils that Earth's inhabitants face, but specific Judgements from God and then the sickle is struck for the harvesting (& of course, some are cast into the winepress of God's Wrath).
So brother, I don't want to continually rehash the earlier passages we've written about, as clearly we read these prophetical messages differently. My understanding is that the Great Tribulation of seven years (the last week seen in Daniel's prophecy), which includes God's Wrath in its various phases & intensities, will come after the Church is removed; even as promised to the Philadelphian Church in Revelation 3:10.
The anti-Christ (at least at the beginning of his reign of terror to his opponents), & the beginning of God's Judgements ( Revelation 6,8,9), assure our hearts that the Rapture of the Church can happen suddenly, without any signs to prepare for that day. The call is for our expectant joyous living & readiness now, as even the early Church was to urged to expect ( Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:13; James 5:8; Revelation 1:3) - not for our awakening when things begin to get very difficult in the course of the final seven years. The call was always for believers' readiness - we couldn't be in such a state if we know that much more needs to happen before the Lord's Coming/Rapture of the Church - death might overtake most of us before then.
d. the revelation of the anti-Christ is restrained ( 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Paul's reason for writing this was because the Church was greatly troubled that the Day of the Lord (Christ) had begun. Paul said that that day wouldn't commence until Jesus came for them & raptured them ("our gathering together unto him": v1). The 'restrainer' is the Holy Spirit in God's people, then when He is removed, God's people are removed, for the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell us & work in & through us & for the Gospel's propagation ( John 16:7,8,13).
e. a comparison between an imminent Rapture & Rapture at the Second Coming:
1. Translation of all believers ( 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18) --- No translation at all ( Revelation 19:6-21).
2. Raptured saints return to Heaven ( 1 Thessalonians 4:17; John 14:1-3) --- Raptured saints return to Earth ( 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Revelation 19:14).
3. Any moment, in readiness, without signs ( 1 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:13; James 5:7-9; Revelation 3:11, 22:7,12,20) --- many signs given of the Great Tribulation which leads into Jesus' coming (so a readiness cannot be expected, as the seven year's count down begins with the anti-Christ).
A Pre-Tribulation Rapture position keeps the Church ready & watching for her Lord's Coming. Any other position can give her the tendency to apathy & carelessness. The Church is told to be watchful, in spite of ridicule, "where is the promise of his coming" ( 2 Peter 3:4). But Christ's coming is held back until the full number are saved (v9) - and then Jesus will come to take His Church Home.
Thanks again Jimbob. If I might take our discussion to anothe level. One great fact of the Church's Rapture, is not only its imminency but its suddenness. In the NT, the command was for readiness ( Matthew 25:13 (10 virgins); Luke 12:40; Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:13), for Christ's coming. The early Church was expecting it & proclaiming it, but the scoffers, then & now have proved themselves right ( 2 Peter 3:3,4) - Jesus hadn't come, nor has history ever recorded such a 'parousia' ever taking place. But the Church still continues to wait, knowing that God's Word is True & that God's Time is never man's concept of time ( 2 Peter 3:8). Therefore the question: why should we await for the any-moment return of Jesus, if that return could be quite easily plotted by the 'falling away', the appearance of the anti-Christ, even the beginning of the Great Tribulation (of God's Wrath which you believe only includes those catastrophic events of Matthew 24:29; Revelation chapter 16)?
Luke 18:1-7 kjv,
Philippians 4:1-9 kjv,
Romans 8:27-29 kjv.
John 14:6 kjv.
The truth is true and nothing else is true. This statement has two parts: without the first, the second has no meaning, but without the second, is the first no longer true. Truth cannot have an opposite. This can not be too often said and thought about. For if what is not true is true as well as what is true, then part of truth is false. And truth has lost its meaning. Nothing but the truth is true, and what is false is false. Truth must be true throughout, if it be true. It cannot contradict itself, nor be in parts uncertain and in others sure. What God creates has no alternative. The truth arises from what He KNOWS; not what we perceive.
Perception has a focus.It is this that gives consistency to what we see. Change but this focus, and what we behold will change accordingly. When seeing a wholly sinless world is ALL we want to see, when this is ALL we seek for in the name of true perception, are the eyes of Christ inevitably ours. What the body's eyes see/perceive is only conflict.
Much of our strange behavior is directly attributable to our definition of guilt; we've accepted the belief the guiltless are guilty. Love and guilt cannot coexist, and to accept one is to deny the other. Guilt hides Christ from our sight, for it is the denial of the blamelessness of God' children. Love creates Itself and nothing but Itself. To the "devil" purity is seen as arrogance and the acceptance of the self as sinful is perceived as holiness. TEACH ONLY LOVE.
Romans 2:11 Romans 13:10 Eph. 1:4 Eph. 5:14 Eph. 3:17-19 Eph. 4:29 Philippians 4:8 Titus 1:15 2 James 3:17-18 1 John 1:5 1 1 John 4:7-8
Peace
GOD IS
Psalms 50:11-12
[11]I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
[12]If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. When we give to God we do it as a way of thanking Him for what he has already done for our salvation, John 3vs 16 The love he bestowed upon the sinners granting us sonship John 1 vs 12
What can we give in exchange for that..
Psalms 50:14
[14]Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: As Christ is rhe head of the body(His church) Visible and functional in this world he knows and supplies our needs, and when we pray we pray accordingly being led by the Holy Spirit giving glory to the Father
Hopefully these are helpful
Even though the full extent of that particular example of sacrificial love may be infrequent today, the Truth of that renewed heart & spirit in believers urged them to look out to others, when formerly it was always 'me first or what's mine is mine'. So when we give with a generous spirit, sensing the real needs within the Church (& of course, outside it), being led of God's Spirit, we can trust that God will always "supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". Even as we read in James 4:3, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts", implying when our motives are wrong & not aligned with what is God's best for us, we shouldn't be surprised when we're left with prayers unanswered & floundering in our sparsity. And of course, "godliness WITH contentment is great gain" ( 1 Timothy 6:6): we should be content with what God has given us, even though we have very little & can't or could never 'keep up with the Jones' '.
Romans 12:5-21,
Not forgetting: James 2:15-20,
Hopefully these are helpful
Godly worship songs, can also fill the atmosphere : 1Samuel 16:23,
Hopefully these are helpful
We are to put to death the deeds of the sinful nature. This is the outcome of the work of Christ on the cross- that we can have victory over personal sin. It is the result of walking in the Spirit. ( Romans 6-8). To fail to mortify the sinful nature in us is to give in to Satan and follow his lead instead of the lead of the Holy Spirit. Let us honor the covenant Jesus made with His blood, knowing that we can never come before God on our own righteousness, but stand before our heavenly Father with the righteousness of Jesus imputed upon us. This does not excuse us from the responsibility to live as children of the Light. We are to put into practice the power of grace in this life to say no to ungodliness and yes to what God has determined is holy and pure and righteous and noble and of good report, whatever is true, whatever is lovely, whatever is praiseworthy, think on these things and do the works of God ( Philippians 4:8-9) This is how we love God and love one another. This is what we will be doing in eternity. We may as well learn to love all that is holy and good now so we can bless others and hopefully win some for Christ.
Philippians 4:6-8,
Hopefully these encourage you
Yes, God is so great we can no even imagine the extent of His greatness!
But I must say, God is God and not a man. He is purely divine in His nature without any mixture of human substance.
The Son incarnated in human flesh and nature as Jesus. But the Son's nature remains wholly divine and yet now has a human nature, too. But the human nature is an add on to His Person and is not mixed with His divine nature in Jesus.
Jesus is forever now a united two-natured person-both fully God and fully man.
There's no specific Scripture(s) that I can give that would help you, except to keep the matter before the Lord for His Work in your life, and also to extend yourself in some way or reach out to others (however difficult this might be for you), that might trigger the otherwise repressed motivation impulse in you.
The general verses that come to mind are: Psalm 37:5; Proverbs 17:22; Matthew 5:16; Galatians 6:9; Philippians 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Peter 5:7.
Some folk in this type of predicament might even visit a therapist, who would help identify any underlying emotional or other health problems & offer suggestions to kick-start your drive to trying out new things. Yet, some things in life require discipline; just as you would need to prepare food or clean the house, so too spending some time in Bible reading & prayer is very important. It's always an interesting journey when you commit this time to God & expect Him to reveal something special to you - this alone should motivate you, just as you are driven to feed yourself or live in a clean home. I pray that you might get a clear direction from the Lord & to pursue something that will bring glory to His Name & bless someone else in need.
God is a rewarder of those who do good and we are commanded to believe this ( Heb. 11:6). The same can be said about the reward of evildoers ( Matthew 6:2 is an example but not the best of how the Pharisees have their reward now and that assumes they suffer eternal loss later; for some reason I can't find better cross reference but it's there somewhere).
In any event there is no mutually exclusive indicator with any of the heavenly authority or rewards Christ promises even though women aren't specifically mentioned. Certainly the Canaanite women in Matthew 15:21-28 had great faith and was only one of 2 Christ noted had this who asked for a healing in scripture. So clearly women can have great faith. It is unclear exactly HOW we will fulfill our roles in the Millennium and beyond ruling over cities; for example or even in heavenly places for eternity.
Whether women and men will do similar or somewhat different things isn't clear. We see Rahab also (even with her "vocation" attached to her name) as one of the "heroes of the faith" in Heb. 11. We are certainly an interesting group of "misfits" that God chooses for His purposes.
Whatever the future holds; we as Paul can be "content" in any and all situations. ( Philippians 4:12). God knows what He is doing; thankfully and saves us from ourselves and there will be no more contention and strife in the Kingdom. Hopefully we can all learn to get along now in the meantime..
Agape; Rich P.
I think that will be more like what David saw in 1Chronicles 21, 2Samuel 24, not man made.
Psalms 37, Psalms 94,
Philippians 4:8
Hopefully helpful
Please consider reflecting on John 16:33, James 1: 2-4, Philippians 4:12-13, and Matthew 6:33.
Hello James. Sorry to read of your poor health & the confusions & contradictions that are overwhelming you. I would hold onto the Lord Jesus' Words: to 'come to Him if you're over-laden with the cares, concerns & burdens of this life - He promises His rest to all who come.' ( Matthew 11:28). Even in ill-health & hopelessness, Jesus' Peace can over-rule our hearts & minds & give us a certainty of His involvement in our lives & a future where heart-ache & pain will be no more. ( John 14:27; John 16:33; Philippians 4:6,7; Revelation 21:3,4).
And that is wonderful, that you are persisting in reading God's Word, for therein are the words of Truth & Life. The Promises of God are "yea & in Him Amen" (i.e. they are certain & will not fail); I pray that you will really come to the point of placing your complete trust & hope in Jesus, for He truly is the Answer, the only Answer, to all of our sins, sorrows, hopes & dreams.
To your questions:
a. I think you're quoting Revelation 22:4, "And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." I picked this verse, as the verses that give the mark of the beast don't apply to the believer in Christ, for if he were present at that time & faithful to the Lord & not to Satan, he would refuse that mark and bear the consequences. In Revelation 22:4, I can't be sure whether there is a physical imprint of Jesus' Name there, or this verse speaks metaphorically. Just as how the mark of the Anti-Christ will be made to appear on all those who wish to follow him & continue to live & not die under his rule.
This is his first imprisonment. His second imprisonment was of course in the dungeon and he was killed right after that time.
Philippians is one of four prison epistles or letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon were written by Paul during this time that he was under house arrest in Rome.
After Paul wrote the letter, it was carried to Philippi by Epaphroditus on his return trip.
I'm not sure if that's a question or a statement but if it's a question, I would say that Philippians was written by Paul mainly. But he also signs Timothy on.
He has Timothy with him. He also has Luke with him. But he says Paul and Timothy are the authors of the letter. Paul's inscription is on all thirteen of his letters.
Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. Philippi became the first European city to receive the gospel. The church at Philippi was founded during Paul's second missionary journey, recorded in Acts 16:8-12.
Epaphroditus was a messenger. He was also believed to be a pastor of the church in Philippi. Paul seems to have visited the church in Philippi twice. That is found in II Corinthians 1:16; Acts 19:21; Acts 20:1-3.
The church in Philippi sent Paul two love offerings for his missionary endeavors in Thessalonica, found in Philippians 4:15-16.
In fact, Paul said nobody else sent for support except for the Christians in Philippi, not once he said, but twice to support the missionary effort.
In 62 AD Paul finds himself as a prisoner in Rome. That is in Acts 28:30-31.
When the church heard of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, they again sent a love offering to him by way of Epaphroditus. Paul describes him as the pastor or messenger, the one that gives the messages in Philippi.
So Epaphroditus is sent 700 miles with this love offering to help Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome, and to minister to Paul there.
While in Rome, Epaphroditus became very sick and nearly died. At this time, some 10 years after his original visit to Philippi, Paul wrote the epistle of Philippians.
Paul writes to the Philippians both to thank them for their gift and also to report the good news of Epaphroditus' recovery.
James 4:7 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment
thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
I am praying for you...