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This book of the bible is frequently and
erroneously
referred to as the start of "The Church, The Body of Christ".
99.44% of fundamental, bible-believing teachers and pastors
embrace this falsity as truth! The fact is, The Book of Acts is
primarily about the unbelief of Israel and God's postponement of
her program.
            
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For though
I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity
is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the
gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward:
but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is
committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily that,
when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ
without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
1
Corinthians 9:16-18
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REMEMBER,
THE FOUR SYNOPTIC GOSPEL ACCOUNTS OF THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JESUS
CHRIST WERE WRITTEN
TO
ISRAEL UNDER THE LAW:
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SINCE
PROPHECY IS SUCH A HOT TOPIC THESE DAYS, DID YOU EVER WONDER WHAT THE
TRIBULATION SAINTS WILL STUDY AFTER THE BODY OF CHRIST IS RAPTURED?
Doctrine
for
The
Tribulation Saints after the rapture of the Body of Christ:
Here Israel is now back at the forefront under the law against the
imminent judgment and earthly return of The Messiah, Jesus Christ.
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1 For this cause I Paul, the
prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of
the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to
you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the
mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye
read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as
it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the
Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the
same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the
grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his
power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is
this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is
the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the
world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus
Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the
manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose
which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. 13
Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my
tribulations for you, which is your glory -
Ephesians 3:1-13 |
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 The
"choke points" of
embracing Paul's doctrine of grace.
Part
3 of 3: Some primary reasons why
most bible-believing Christians reject the apostle Paul's distinctive
message.....
(Part
1, Part 2)
In the
last part of our series, I must admit that I originally
thought I could cover each of the "choke points" in the two
previous issues. However, I found that I simply needed more
space which necessitated this months' Lightstreet Journal to
close on a very important issue; the origination of the church.
In
this issue we will resume the article on the "choke points"
of believing Paul's doctrine after leaving off with water
baptism from part one. Let's take a look at the choke point
of when the church began....
The Church (When did it begin?) - The Answer:
The birthday
of the church is an
interesting topic these days as its answer can determine a
person's specific faith-based system of beliefs. Depending on
how you answer this question can also determine your acceptance
among believers or where you physically are permitted to
fellowship! As I personally sit on the outside looking in, I
will address this topic from not only a biblical perspective but
from a dispensational perspective as well.....for its the latter
perspective that is ignored by 99.44 % of Christendom...
First,
the very word "church" must be understood in its context when
the above question is asked. Do we mean The Kingdom
Church that Jesus Christ committed to
Peter as the "stone"
of whom would help His earthly ministry flourish prior to
His second coming? Or do we want to understand the
origination of The Church The Body of Christ of which
Jesus Christ told
Paul that he would be in charge of? Why does
it matter? Is there really a difference? How then can we
differentiate what Peter's instructions to the "called out" ones
were versus Paul's instructions to the "called out" ones
he was
the ambassador of Christ for?
In fact then,
the answer to the beginnings of the church is conditional
upon which body of believers you are speaking of!
Here is why; we referenced earlier how Stephen described "the church" in the
wilderness when referring to Old Testament saints
(otherwise known as the children of Israel) who were freed from
Egypt under the guidance of Moses after seeing the hand of God
move on their behalf. Tell me friends, should we not draw at
least some type of distinction from that body of "called out"
ones? Although they were believers of God as we are today, was God dealing with these
people completely different? Indeed He was since you could not even
be a
Gentile and be on equal footing when compared to those in
that church (who were children of Israel)! Therefore, we would have to make at
least some type of
distinction between those "called out" ones and the "called out"
ones Paul was committed to teaching lest we under the law:
11 I say then,
Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather
through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to
provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the
riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of
the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 13
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the
Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14 If by any means I may
provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save
some of them.
-
Romans 11:11-14
Please notice
that I am intentionally referring to the term "called out ones"
since that is the definition of "the church". As you can see in
the above verses in Romans, Paul certainly made a distinction as
to what his office entailed and the "them" he was
referring to was Israel who be 'provoked to jealousy' due
to unbelief.
Second,
let's examine the two factions of believers spoken of in
the book of Galatians. I will start from the beginning of
chapter two so that we can understand my point in its context:
1 Then
fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas,
and took Titus with me also. 2 And I went up by revelation, and
communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the
Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest
by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. 3 But
neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to
be circumcised: 4 And that because of false brethren unawares
brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we
have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 5
To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that
the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 6 But of these
who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no
matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who
seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: 7 But
contrariwise, when they saw that the
gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as
the gospel of the circumcision was unto
Peter; 8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the
apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me
toward the Gentiles:) 9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who
seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto
me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship;
that we should go unto the heathen,
and they unto the circumcision. 10
Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which
I also was forward to do. -
Galatians 2:1-10
In the
example above, there are two separate instances where
distinct groups of people are called out and its not just
happenstance nor a mere coincidence! In verse 7 of Galatians 2,
Paul stated that on the contrary, the good news of The
Uncircumcision was committed unto him, as the good news of
The Circumcision was committed unto Peter. In
verse 9, two separate groups of people were addressed, the
heathen and the circumcision to reiterate the uniqueness of the
message of each. The message that was to be commonly
communicated to both The Circumcision and The Uncircumcision
was that Peter and Paul should remember the poor to
assure that they were not excluded. To further solidify my
point, Paul spoke expressively in
Romans 2 and
3 about the distinction of uncircumcision and circumcision
as it pertains to Jew and Gentile which is exactly what I am
driving at.
Could it
be agreed then that there were two unique sets of "called
out" ones: The Circumcision and The Uncircumcision? So with that
established, if I ask about the origination of the church, which
"called out" ones (The Circumcision or The Uncircumcision) am I
referring to?? Most bible teachers, church leaders and pastors
fail to make the distinction between the above factions while
also neglecting to differentiate between
the two "good news" messages. The thought being that since this
"good news" is all from God it must all be the same. However,
this is a very wrong assumption and this thinking has caused
utter confusion in The Church, The Body of Christ; whose
origination started with the apostle Paul (note the "me first")
as stated in 1 Timothy below:
15 This
is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained
mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all
longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter
believe on him to life everlasting.
-
I Timothy 1:15,16,
Peter's
ministry is specifically and primarily to The
Circumcision or those Jews in and around Jerusalem! This is in
perfect alignment with the command of Jesus Christ as noted in
the scriptures below:
-
Luke 24:49-52 -
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you:
but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem,
until ye be endued with power from on high. 50 And he led
them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands,
and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed
them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
52 And they worshipped him, and
returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53 And were
continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
-
Acts
1:1-4 -
1The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that
Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which
he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had
given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3
To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by
many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and
speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4
And, being assembled together with them,
commanded them that they should not
depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the
Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
-
Acts
1:8
- But ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto me both
in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and
unto the uttermost part of the earth.
It has
been said that Acts is a book about the birth and growth of the
church which is somewhat a half truth! As stated in this
article, you have to be clear as to which church you are
referring to friends but to be perfectly honest with you, Acts
has as more to do with the fall of Israel then anything else.
Although The Church of The Little Flock was growing as it waited
for
the return of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19,20),
many of these Kingdom Saints were martyred or scattered abroad as
recorded by Dr. Luke in Acts. Ironically enough, the man who
was responsible for much of the tribulation, imprisonment and death to these dear
Kingdom saints turned out to be the ambassador to the Gentiles! Through
the apostle Paul, The Lord Jesus Christ would
change His dealings with mankind by setting aside Israel (and
Peter's ministry) and
revealing His mystery plan to The Church, The Body of Christ so
that we could assure (Ephesians
3 - READ IT!) "to make all men see" the hope
that lies within Him!
In
conclusion and in order to answer questions that pertain to the
start up or origination of the church, one must be clear on
which church is being referred to.
____________________________________
But what
about the verse in Genesis 1:1 that was referred to and how does
this have anything to do with the church?
In the
beginning God created the heaven and the earth. -
Genesis 1:1
This topic is
covered in more detail in our series
"Creation From a Grace Perspective". In summary, it is by no
mere coincidence that God specifically mentions the heaven
and the earth as He has devised a perfect way for The
Church, The Body of Christ to destroy Satan's plan of evil from
a heavenly perspective while using believing Israel and it's
"called out ones" to foil the plans of
The Adversary as it regards to planet earth in time future.
For more
information on this insightful topic please visit "Enjoy
The Bible Ministries" sponsored by Keith Blades
GOD HATH SPOKEN
by Cornelius R. Stam
In his
farewell address to the nation Israel, Moses said:
"Ask now of the days that are past...
since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from
the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been
any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like
it? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the
midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?"
- Deuteronomy 4:32,33
Moses
referred, of course, to the giving of the Law, when God spoke to
Israel by word of mouth amid the lightnings and thunders of
Sinai. In Israel’s case alone "God spake all these words"
audibly. Never before had He undertaken to address a nation
personally.
This was indeed a great honor for Israel, but God has since
spoken to all mankind in an even more striking manner, for in
Heb. 1:1,2 we read:
"God...
hath in these last days spoken unto us by [in] His Son... who...
when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty on high."
At Sinai
God spoke the words of the Law, but now, in Christ, He speaks of
mercy and grace. There He spoke of the righteousness which He
demands, but here He tells of the righteousness which He
provides in Christ.
Some suppose that the absence of miraculous demonstrations, the
want of divine intervention in the affairs of men, etc.,
indicate indifference on God’s part, but actually this apparent
indifference speaks to us of His love and grace.
Remember,
the Psalms and
all prophecy had predicted God’s judgment upon men for their
rejection of Christ, yet today the Son still remains a voluntary
Exile from His own world, while neither He nor the Father do
anything to avenge His cruel crucifixion. Meanwhile, still
lingering in mercy, He sends His ambassadors to offer
reconciliation to His enemies by grace through faith. Thus His
silence actually cries: "The door of grace is still open. Be
reconciled while you may. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
thou shalt be saved."
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Today's World News
Nuweiba, Egypt
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Chariot wheels found in
the
Red Sea!!
THIS ARTICLE WAS COPIED FROM THE
FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
http://www.discoverynews.us/red_sea.html
 Chariot Wheels found at the bottom of the Red Sea -- See
pictures below and the route. You will
be surprised to see proof of Pharaoh's chariot and bones
of horses and men found in the Red Sea . Evidence of the
crossing of the Red Sea .. Pharaoh's drowned army.
Confirmation of the actual Exodus route has come from
divers finding coral-encrusted bones and chariot remains
in the Gulf of Aqaba . ONE of the most dramatic records
of Divine intervention in history is the account of the
Hebrews' exodus from Egypt .
The subsequent drowning of the entire Egyptian army in
the Red Sea was not an insignificant event, and
confirmation of this event is compelling evidence that
the Biblical narrative is truly authentic. Over the
years, many divers have searched the Gulf of Suez in
vain for artifacts to verify the Biblical account. But
carefully following the Biblical and historical records
of the Exodus brings you to Nuweiba, a large beach in
the Gulf of Aqaba , as Ron Wyatt discovered in 1978.
Repeated dives in depths ranging from 60 to 200 feet
deep (18m to 60m), over a stretch of almost 2.5 km, has
shown that the chariot parts are scattered across the
sea bed. Artifacts found include wheels, chariot bodies,
as well as human and horse bones. Divers have located on
the Saudi coastline opposite Nuweiba as well.
 Since 1987, Ron Wyatt found three four-spoke gilded
chariot wheels. Coral does not grow on gold, hence the
shape has remained very distinct, although the wood
inside the gold veneer has disintegrated making them too
fragile to move.
The hope for future expeditions is to explore the deeper
waters with remote cameras or mini-subs. (ABOVE GILDED
CHARIOT WHEEL - Mute witness to the miracle of the
crossing of the Red Sea by the Hebrews 3,500 years ago.
Found
 with a metal detector. Coral-encrusted chariot
wheel, filmed off the Saudi coastline, matches chariot
wheels found in Tutankhamen's tomb.
Mineralized bone, one
of many found at the crossing site (above center). This
one tested by the Department of Osteology at Stockholm
University , was found to be a human femur, from the
right leg of a 165-170cm tall man. It is essentially
'fossilized, ' i.e., replaced by minerals and coral,
hence cannot be dated by radiocarbon methods, although
this specimen was obviously from antiquity. Chariot
wheel and axle covered with coral and up-ended. Exodus
14:25 'And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily...' Solomon's memorial pillars.
When Ron Wyatt first visited Nuweiba in 1978, he found a
Phoenician style column lying in the water.
Unfortunately the inscriptions had been eroded away,
hence the column's importance was not understood until
1984 when a second granite column was found on the Saudi
coastline opposite -- identical to the first, except on
this one the inscription was still intact!
In Phoenician letters (Archaic Hebrew), it contained the
words: Mizraim (Egypt); Solomon; Edom; death; Pharaoh;
Moses; and Yahweh, indicating that King Solomon had set
up these columns as a memorial to the miracle of the
crossing of the sea. Saudi Arabia does not admit
tourists, and perhaps fearing unauthorized visitors, the
Saudi Authorities have since removed this column, and
replaced it with a flag marker where it once stood.
How deep is the water? The Gulf of Aqaba is very deep,
in places over a mile (1,600m) deep. Even with the sea
dried up, walking across would be difficult due to the
steep grade down the sides. But there is one spot where
if the water were removed, it would be an easy descent
for people and animals. This is the line between Nuweiba
and the opposite shore in Saudi Arabia .
Depth-sounding
expeditions have revealed a smooth, gentle slope
descending from Nuweiba out into the Gulf. This shows up
almost like a pathway on depth-recording equipment,
confirming it's Biblical description, '...a way in the
sea, and a path in the mighty waters.' (Isaiah 43:16)
The Bible writers frequently refer to the miracle of the
Red Sea crossing, for it was an event which finds no
equal in history. The Hebrew prophets describe the sea
at the crossing site as '...the waters of the great
deep...the depths of the sea...' (Isaiah 51:10)
Knowing the exact spot to which the Bible writers were
referring, what is the depth there? The distance between
Nuweiba and where artifacts have been found on Saudi
coast is about 18km (11 miles).
Along this line, the
deepest point is about 800m (2,600 feet). No wonder
that Inspired writers of the Bible described it as the
mighty waters. And no wonder that not a single Egyptian
survived when the water collapsed in upon them.
THE
TRUTH
by Cornelius R. Stam
The Bible is
unique among books as Christ was among men, in that it is the
only book that claims repeatedly and consistently to be the truth.
It begins with the majestic words: "In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth." It does not argue the case; it simply states it.
The sacramental introduction to the prophecies is: "Thus saith the
Lord," and a hundred fulfilled prophecies prove that the Bible is indeed
the Word of God -- the truth.
Without apology it refers to:
• The
"manifestation of the truth" (IICor.4:2).
• The "knowledge of the truth" (IITim.3:7).
• Those who "have erred concerning the truth" (II Tim.2:18).
• Those who "resist the truth" (IITim.3:8).
• Those who "hold [hold down, suppress] the truth in
unrighteousness" (Rom.1: 18).
• Those who "turn away their ears from the truth" (IITim.4:4).
• Those who "believe and know the truth" (ITim.4:3).
• Those who "acknowledge the truth" (Tit.1:1).
• Our Lord said to His Father: "Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17)
• Paul wrote to those who were saved when they "heard the word of
truth, the gospel of [their] salvation" (Eph.1:13).
Where the truth is concerned
God's Word is all we need, for:
"All scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction in righteousness;
"That the man of God may be perfect [complete], THOROUGHLY FURNISHED
unto all good works"
- II Timothy.3:16,17
Some things to consider.....by
Peter Bruno
I believe there
are some things that are imperative to consider and understand, when
rightly dividing the word of God. Such things include realizing the
distinction between God’s grace existing in
dispensations of the past versus a dispensation filled with so much
grace it is called the Dispensation of Grace!
There are three
things necessary when reading, studying and meditating on the word of
God. In starting a business, they are location, location and location.
When studying the word “rightly divided” they are context, context and
context.
“Anticipated revelation”, is a term I first became familiar with,
through Pastor Paul Sadler. I will attempt to explain this term briefly.
Anticipated
revelation occurs when we impose the understanding we have received by
the revelation of the Holy Spirit within the Dispensation of Grace, into
another age, or dispensation. This is like attempting to mix water with
oil… it never mixes! It causes nothing but confusion, and the results of
our understanding will always be incorrect in relation to rightly
dividing the word. Paul talks about this in Romans 11 when he states:
“And if by
grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no
more work.”
Let’s consider
the fact that God is perfect, pure, true, and complete within Himself.
He states in the bible that He places His word above all things, even
Himself. Remembering all this, we then could say in a sense, that God
has restricted Himself to all of the previously mentioned!
Let’s re-visit
the concept of God’s Grace existing in all ages and dispensations and
the Dispensation of Grace, which we live in today. God’s Grace did
indeed exist in all ages and dispensations from the beginning of time,
but only within the confines, limits, and restrictions of what He had
dispensed in each age. As Creator, His grace could only be dispensed at
His discretion while within the restrictions of His own Word, in all
ages, and dispensations previous to the Dispensation of Grace. However,
in this wonderful Dispensation of
Grace, the Lord Jesus Christ
revealed to our apostle Paul God’s ultimate, totally unconditional grace
absent of any limits or restrictions in our salvation and walk. Most
fundamental, bible-believing churches would agree with the “salvation”
part. It’s the “walk” part or “discipleship” that becomes the line of
demarcation! See Romans 4:4-6, Romans 5:8, Colossians 2:6. This is a
result of the FINISHED WORK OF JESUS CHRIST!
Lastly, let’s
consider at a few examples of specific singular words with different
meanings, which are dependent upon context:
Apostle: sent
one; use of this word in scripture does not always refer to the 12
Apostles. It simply means sent one (by God). The context will determine
its correct meaning.
Gospel: good news; gospel does not always denote
salvation. It simply means good news such as the gospel preached in the
book of John. Here the word “gospel” in its context is referring to the
offering of the Kingdom to Israel, not a way of
salvation for the
Body of Christ as is taught in many a pulpit.
Faith: Paul many times spoke of the “the faith” including
when writing to young Pastor Timothy. However, Hebrews 11 clearly
demonstrates the outward expression of “the faith” in each of the
believers spoken of. Abel believed God and offered a more excellent
sacrifice than Cain. Enoch was translated to heaven because his
testimony of “the faith” was pleasing to God. By faith, Noah believed
God and built the ark.
These dear saints demonstrated their faith as an outward testimony of an
inward change. But today friend, THROUGH Christ we can say: “But to him
that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his
faith is counted for righteousness”!
These are but a
few things to consider while understanding and arriving at the correct
conclusion of God’s Word Rightly Divided!
 |
COFFEE
CORNER
What is the bible?
Excerpts taken from
Dr. Charles C. Ryrie
The Bible is a book
of books---66 of them in fact. Actually the word Bible
comes from a plural word meaning books. And yet the 66
books form one single book. So it is a book of books!
This is a very remarkable thing when you remember that
about 40 different men wrote those 66 books over a
period of 1600 years. Obviously they could not all have
been alive at the same time, and therefore could not
have consulted with one another about the things they
were writing. Yet they all agreed perfectly in all
the things they wrote over this long period of time.
Think of how often you say one thing one day and the
very opposite the next day. But this is not so with the
writers of the Bible. Though each writer wrote
from his own point of view and used his own particular
expressions, they all agree in everything the wrote.
Not only were there
about 40 different authors of the Bible, but among them
were many different kinds of men. Few were scholars in
the modern sense of the word, so you don't have to be
fearful that what they wrote is going to be too
difficult for us to understand! Men like Amos come to
mind when I think about average, everyday people who God
chose to reveal His dealings with mankind to. As an
example, the Bible tells us that Amos was a shepherd
from Tekoa. Ruth, a young widow, was a Moabite and
daughter-in-law of Naomi who would marry Boaz the "near
kinsman" who could legally redeem her. Interestingly,
hundreds of years later we would read in the book of
Matthew of how Ruth would be mentioned in the genealogy
of Jesus Christ! God used the martial problems of Hosea
to teach him about God's love for Israel. Indeed
there were many classes of people from all areas of
society including others such as:
-
Moses -
He was well educated in all of the wisdom of the
Egyptians and was a great administrator of the
people decades after being on the wanted list by
Pharaoh himself!
-
David &
Solomon - These men were great and powerful
kings of Israel yet the Bible tells us of the many
accounts of their personal failures, trials and sin.
-
Daniel -
As a young boy he was carried
away from his family into exile and eventually rose
to be prime minister in the government of Babylon.
-
Ezra - He
was an official in the court of the king of Persia
and he led the return of Israelites from captivity.
-
Nehemiah -
He was a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes and was
permitted to be a modern day project manager to lead
the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem!
Among the writers and
recorders of the New Testament included the despised IRS
agent Matthew; Peter, James and John-----fishermen by
trade. The apostle Paul went from a maniacal, murdering,
rabbi to being ordained by Jesus Christ as the revelator
of the mystery; a distinct and unique message of grace
and hope to Gentiles....and he was a tentmaker in his
spare time!
Many men, with many
differing backgrounds in between many years have one
thing in common----all of their writings agree. The
Bible is truly a book like no other book! There must
 be
something behind such remarkable unity friends. Indeed
there is and it is not something or someone, it is God
Himself. Though there were indeed many men who
wrote the bible, in a sense there is really only One
Author and that is God friends. God wrote and planned
the bible and he knows everything pas, present and
future as well. he guided human authors through the Holy
Spirit to assure that each book would not contradict the
other. Only God could make 1 book out of 66 books!
There is another
reason why there is incredible unity of these 66 books.
It's because there is one outstanding theme of which its
foundation rests upon and that theme is Jesus Christ.
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Prayer For This House...
By Louis Untermeyer
May
nothing evil cross this door,
And
may ill fortune never pry,
About
these windows; may the roar
And rain go by.
Strengthened by faith, these rafters will
Withstand the batt'ring of the storm;
This
hearth, though all the world grow chill,
Will keep us warm.
Peace
shall walk softly through these rooms,
Touching our lips with holy wine,
Till
ev'ry csual corner blooms
Into a shrine.
Laughter shall drown the raucous shout;
And,
though these shelt'ring walls are thin,
May
they be strong to keep hate out
And
hold love in.
SCRIPTURE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE - I Corinthians 2:6,7,8
by Russell S. Miller
"Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect;
yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of
this world, that come to nought; But we speak the wisdom
of God in a Mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God
ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of
the princes of this world knew: for had they known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory"
- I Corinthians.2:6,7,8
The
Spirit of God revealed to the Apostle Paul, that other
Apostle, wisdom which none of the Old Testament
writers knew. He says:
-
"We speak the wisdom of
God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God
ordained before the world unto our glory
-
"Which none of the
princes of this world knew: for had they known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory"
(ICor.2:7,8).
It is
evident that this "hidden mystery" was "ordained before
the world," but few realize that it was first made known
unto the Apostle Paul. His epistles are filled with the
wonderful truths which this glorious "wisdom" affords
the simplest of believers.
Beware though, for those who dare stand for this great
revelation also discover that "the wiles of the devil"
are hurled at them. "The preaching of Jesus Christ
according to the revelation of the mystery" (Rom.16:25)
is, unfortunately, not a popular message for it puts to
death the old man and his sinful nature.
"But if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this
age hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
LEST THE LIGHT OF THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST, who is
the image of God, SHOULD SHINE UNTO THEM" (IICor.4:4).
Our adversary hates this great body of truth because it
spells his utter defeat. For on Calvary's cross Christ
accomplished more than the devil ever could have
realized:
"And having spoiled principalities and powers HE MADE A
SHEW OF THEM OPENLY, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM IN IT"
(Col.2:15).
Had "the princes of this age known" what the cross
entailed "they would not have crucified the Lord of
glory" (ICor.2:8).
"BUT GOD HATH REVEALED [THE
HIDDEN MYSTERY] UNTO US BY HIS SPIRIT: For the Spirit
searcheth all things, YEA, THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD"
(ICor.2:10). PRAISE THE LORD!
Philemon
1 Paul, a prisoner of
Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our
dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer, 2 And to our beloved
Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the
church in thy house: 3 Grace to you, and peace, from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God,
making mention of thee always in my prayers, 5 Hearing
of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord
Jesus, and toward all saints; 6 That the communication
of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging
of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. 7
For we have great joy and consolation in thy love,
because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee,
brother. 8 Wherefore, though I might be much bold in
Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, 9 Yet
for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one
as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus
Christ. 10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I
have begotten in my bonds: 11 Which in time past was to
thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him,
that is, mine own bowels: 13 Whom I would have retained
with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto
me in the bonds of the gospel: 14 But without thy mind
would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it
were of necessity, but willingly. 15 For perhaps he
therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest
receive him for ever; 16 Not now as a servant, but above
a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how
much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?
17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as
myself. 18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought,
put that on mine account; 19 I Paul have written it with
mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to
thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord:
refresh my bowels in the Lord. 21 Having confidence in
thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt
also do more than I say. 22 But withal prepare me also a
lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall
be given unto you. 23 There salute thee Epaphras, my
fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus; 24 Marcus, Aristarchus,
Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers. 25 The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus
Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from
this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father."
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been revoked".
Joe
knew that this could be a major problem in that he would not be able
to get his work completed without access to area XYZ! However, after
further review of the e-mail, the man quickly discovered that he was
not the intended recipient but instead "copied" or "cc'd" as a
reference only! As it turns out, a collogue of his was the man who lost
his access! Joe, as the superintendent of area XYZ, simply needed to
be aware of this. For a brief moment, Joe confused his TO
mail with his CC mail. Not understanding that distinction for
those brief seconds after reading the message caused severe anxiety for
Joe until he realized the message was indeed TO someone else!
In a much similar example, when
we
read the bible, identifying our TO
mail is very important lest
we make the same fundamental mistake as the person above. Without
understanding the distinction between our "to" mail and our
"cc" or our "reference only" mail, believers inadvertently
"read themselves" into areas of the bible that God did not intend.
The result when this happens: confusion!
(see
