Devotional, Devotion, Prophecy, Bible Study, Bible discussion, End of Days, End Times, Enter Ministry, Underground Church, Church, Fellowship, Tribulation, Salvation, Ordained, Love, Heaven, Miracles
Author: Michael Young, Sr.
I am a practicing Christian, a disciple of Jesus, a husband of over 50 years, a father and a grandfather, a business man, a veteran and a friend to all who will have me.
I have served or am serving, at various times, as an Evangelist, a Pulpit fill pastor, an Associate Pastor of Evangelism and as Senior Pastor of a church plant. My passion is for practicing and teaching the Bible, building small groups, reaching the lost with the message of the Gospel of Jesus, recovering the straying Sheep of God and the gathering together the Called of God, in neighborhoods, business settings and in churches by equipping other Christians.
I have authored a few small books and I have a background in professional business management, finance and investments.
I am glad to meet you, even if it is virtually. Write me at any time and let's become friends.
Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional – Part 57
“You will fall away”
”And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.”
The Words of Jesus, Matthew 26:30-35
These verses, as typically taught, focus on Peter’s denial of Jesus. However, Jesus, by these Words, has set a series of prophetic events into motion that will forever change the world and ultimately completes the plan of the Father for all of humanity, the heavens and the earth, for all eternity.
The words of Jesus in these verses seem to put the responsibility (or blame) on the disciples for falling away from Jesus and the faith. But a closer look at the text and an inspection of the Greek language tells a different story. Clearly, Jesus says, “You will all fall away because of me”.
Jesus says that He is the cause of the disciples ‘falling away’ (Skandalízō – to set a snare, (a “stumbling-block“); (figuratively) “to hinder right conduct or thought; to cause stumbling – literally, “to fall into a trap”; To trip up (figuratively, stumble (transitively) or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure), make to offend, and the falling away is not a permanent abandonment of Jesus by the disciples, but is a ‘trap’ set ahead of time in order to initiate a test to sift the disciples (see Luke 22:31) in preparation for Jesus’ return to Galilee after His Resurrection. (see John chapter 21. Also see Matthew 28:16-20.)
This event led to the Jesus giving of the Great Commission, (and your command, as a disciple of Jesus, to go and make disciples), His ascension, the imparting and the coming of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, the first of many salvations by God’s grace through faith in Jesus, leading to the breaking of the 5th Tribulation Seal of the great apostasy and the great latter-day persecution of the saints. God is using this event, the results of this ‘falling away’, to purge, refine and cleanse Believers, current and future, perfecting them and us through these trials and tribulations into the image of Jesus.
His judgment of the earth and all people is coming, and when it is completed, He will make a new heaven and a new earth for His perfected creation. A perfect home in His perfect presence, for all eternity.
Further insights on this prophetic event from:
Mark 14:26“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Verse 27And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ Verse 28. But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
Luke 22:31“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, verse 32, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Verse 33. Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Verse 34. Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
Peter, in response to Jesus, said, “I will never fall away”. But Jesus corrects Peter, saying, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”This time, perhaps to help Peter understand what He means, Jesus says Peter will DENY Him, (instead of ‘fall away’), or perhaps Jesus means Peter will both fall away (fall into a trap or be tripped up by these events) and will disown or repudiate Jesus. And, it is important to notice that all the disciples said the same.
God has given you a free will and the power of choice. You must choose whether to accept and engage this prophetic unfolding, or to reject it and rebel against what God has prepared for you. One way leads to eternal life and the other to a spiritual death, an outer darkness with wailing and gnashing of teeth. Either way, this is taking place, even as I write the words. Please choose, wisely.
Saul Persecutes the Church, Philip in Samaria, An Ethiopian Receives Christ
Acts 8:1, Now Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.
(Commentary Break): Verse 1 says, “And on that day a great persecution began against the Church”. This is a key verse when determining the breaking of the Fifth Tribulation Seal as described by Jesus (see Matthew 24:7-13), when He says “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains (of the tribulation).
“Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved”.
And again in Revelation 6:9-11, John says, “And when He (Jesus) had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled”.
From this we can know that the signs of the tribulation period known as the Birth Pains of the tribulation, began at the time of Jesus ministry on earth. (We have seen seals one through five opened, overlapping and intensifying to this day. This would mean that we are now on the verge of the 6th Tribulation Seal which marks the beginning of the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation, also known as the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the Wrath of the Lamb. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 2. Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned loudly for him. Verse 3. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would drag away men and women and put them in prison.
(Commentary Break): It may be hard for us, in America, to fully appreciate the severity of the persecution of the worldwide Church. The Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) says 900,000 Christians have been ‘martyred’ in the last decade, equating to 90,000 a year and one every six minutes.
This may be the most dangerous time in history to be Christian
At least 327 million Christians face persecution, according to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which released its biannual report on Religious Freedom in the World in November 2018. That is 7 percent of the world’s 2.3 billion Christians, estimated by Pew Research Center in 2015.
245 million Christians in the top 50 countries on Open Doors USA’s 2019World Watch List experience high levels of persecution (i.e.: torture, rape, sex-slavery, for conversion to Christianity, murder and genocide), an increase of 14 percent from 2018. Sixty percent of those enduring persecution are children; women and girls are most violated. Release International, a UK-based human rights watchdog in operation for the past 50 years who partner with U.S.-based “Voice of the Martyrs” said they expect global anti-Christian persecution is set to rise ‘sharply’ in 2019. – (Read the report here). (End Commentary Break).
Philip in Samaria
Verse 4. Therefore, those who had been scattered went through places preaching the word. Verse 5. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them. Verse 6. The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. Verse 7. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed or limped on crutches were healed. Verse 8. So there was much rejoicing in that city.
Verse 9. Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; verse 10, and all the people, from small to great, were paying attention to him, saying, “This man is the Power of God that is called Great.” Verse 11. And they were paying attention to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic arts. Verse 12. But when they believed Philip as he was preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were being baptized. Verse 13. Now even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was repeatedly amazed.
Verse 14. Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, verse 15, who came down and prayed for them that they would receive the Holy Spirit. Verse 16. (For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Verse 17. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
(Commentary Break): “For He (The Holy Spirit) had not fallen upon those in Samaria, but they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus”. It is with great reluctance that I ask if these verses 14 through 17 are saying that there is a baptism by water which is a confession and a personal identifying with Jesus in His death burial and resurrection, (an outward sign of an ‘inward’ decision), but a separate event from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? And is “the laying on of hands” some sort of smind, soul and spirit transference” or is this just a ritual?
Do I dare suggest that the evidence of the indwelling and embodiment of the Holy Spirit is commensurate with the deep seated faith and resultant commitment to “doing the works of Jesus and even Greater Works, because He has gone to the Father”, or was this and these works granted only to the Apostles?
The name “Apostle” was first used in about A.D. 49 by the Apostle Paul. The word is defined as a messenger, envoy, delegate, one commissioned by another to represent him in some way, especially a man sent out by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the Gospel; an apostle.
The cultural and historical background in the Greco-Roman world for the term apostle (Apostolos in the Greek language), was used to describe a messenger or envoy sent with authority to represent someone else. In the context of the New Testament, apostles were seen as authoritative representatives of Jesus Christ, entrusted with spreading His teachings and establishing His Church. The role of an apostle was foundational in the early Church, as they were responsible for teaching, guiding, and maintaining the doctrinal purity of the Christian faith.
Jesus commissioned His original disciples (minus Judas Iscariot) to “Go and make disciples”. If this commandment had been exclusive only to those original eleven, then the commissioning and command to make and send disciples would have ended with those eleven men. The evangelization of the world would have also ended there. But that is not the case.
PLEASE NOTE: These words of Jesus were spoken specifically in the Aorist tense. The Aorist tense represents the concept in which a verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time. It is a continuous action. The past, present and future are considered as one-and-the-same. In other words, “what was, what is, and what forevermore shall be” , until Jesus consummates this age.
So, at risk of ‘flying in the face of tradition’ the definition, the meaning, and the historical Biblical use of this word Apostle, tells us that Jesus commanded His disciples to make disciples, whom, by the very definition are also to be considered as messengers or envoys sent with authority to represent Jesus.
So, even though some false teachers or false prophets have claimed and misused that name, it is no excuse for the true disciple of Jesus to shy from the word, the function, the duties or the responsibilities of the name of Apostle – a messenger or an envoy sent with authority to represent someone else – and in this case, to represent Jesus.
To wit: “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (End Commentary Break).
Verse 18. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, verse 19, saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Verse 20. But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire the gift of God with money! Verse 21. You have no part or share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Verse 22. Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart will be forgiven you. Verse 23. For I see that you are provoked by bitterness and in the bondage of sin.” Verse 24. But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
(Commentary Break): Little more needs to be said in comparing this man, Simon, to the modern-day so-called evangelists and “miracle workers” who do their magic and ask their audience for money? Cannot they and should they not be compared to the Simon the magician, in the same way Peter dealt with Simon?
Secondly, the word “authority” appears here, once again. Simon asks the Apostles for the authority to perform miracles, but clearly the authority granted to an Apostle was not for just the authority to perform miracles, but was for making disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,teaching them to follow all that Jesus commanded.
Dear fellow Christians, please, be diligent. Be discerning. Be wise. (End Commentary Break).
An Ethiopian Receives Christ
Verse 25. So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
Verse 26. But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get ready and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) Verse 27. So he got ready and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, verse 28, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading Isaiah the prophet. Verse 29. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Verse 30. Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Verse 31. And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Verse 32. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
“HE WAS LED LIKE A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER;
AND LIKE A LAMB THAT IS SILENT BEFORE ITS SHEARER,
SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.
Verse 33. “IN HUMILIATION HIS JUSTICE WAS TAKEN AWAY;
WHO WILL DESCRIBE HIS GENERATION?
FOR HIS LIFE IS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE EARTH.” Verse 34. The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?” Verse 35. Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. Verse 36. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” Verse 38. And he ordered that the chariot stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. Verse 39. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. Verse 40. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea. (End Chapter 8 text).
Please read these scriptures from Jesus’ perspective and through His eyes. Stand there in your mind’s eye, watch and hear these events as if you are present and first hand. Meditate on them. Learn from them. Pray fervently about them. Then go and do the Acts of the Apostles.
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil”. Romans 13:4.
The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.
First, we will be confronted with various situations and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as:
“For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil”. Romans 13:4.
IN CONTEXT
Romans 13:1, Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Verse 2. Therefore, whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. Verse 3. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; verse 4, for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a servant of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Verse 5. Therefore, it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for the sake of conscience. Verse 6. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Verse 7. Pay to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor. Verse 8. Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law. Verse 9. For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Verse 10. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.
Verse 11. Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. Verse 12. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore, let’s rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Verse 13. Let’s behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and debauchery, not in strife and jealousy. Verse 14. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
“For he (who exercises governing authority) is God’s minister to me for good. But if Ido evil, I should be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil”. Romans 13:4.
These verses and this command may be some of the most difficult to understand, accept and to obey when a government is found to be oppressive or dictatorial, and especially difficult if a government is hostile toward Christianity.
This teaching gives us the starkest of comparisons of what Jesus means when He says that we, as Christians, are not of this world and that we, as the Church, are believers who are “called out” of this world and its ways. (The word, Church is derived from the Greek word Ekklesia, which comes from the preposition ek, “out of”, and the verb kaleō, “to call”, meaning called out”, or believers who are “called out” of this world and its ways. Also, see John 17:14-16).
It is said that the teachings of Jesus are often counter-intuitive to the natural mind and are counter-cultural to this world’s ways. But ironically, the truth is just the opposite. The world’s teachings and ways are antithetical and counter-cultural to the way that God created us and the world in which we live. It was the sin of humanity’s rebellion toward God that created the great and terrible inversion of God’s created order. And it is Jesus and His teachings that will set things right again. And, it is our obedience, even to Jesus’ most difficult to understand teachings, that will ‘turn the world upside down again – putting things back into the Right Order.
You and I are called out – if youand I will only trust and obey!
Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional – Part 56
“Why do you trouble the woman?”
But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
The Words of Jesus – Matthew 26:10-13
This event begins in Matthew 26:6: “Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, Verse 7, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. Verse 8. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? Verse 9. For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor”.
Jesus is entering the last few days of His ministry on earth. He is preparing Himself and His disciples for His crucifixion. What follows in this episode and in coming episodes are the richest and most profound insights. Many in the Church today fail to recognize or accept the power and strength Jesus is teaching and demonstrating for us to follow in our day of testing. You and I would be wise to see, hear and remember, because our day is coming, also.
“Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray Jesus), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
Staying true to His nature, the preparation for His death has taken place without any religious pomp or circumstance. This is The Suffering Servant, Christ Jesus,
A face-value reading of these verses is sufficient for our understanding of what occurred. Mary has poured a pound of expensive perfumed ointment on Jesus’ feet, as He has said, “to prepare Me for burial”. But Jesus adds significance to her act of worship, saying, “Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
This is an example for all future Christians. Mary has demonstrated true worship, and surrender her valuable worldly possessions, resulting in the washing away of sin by her identifying with Christ in His (coming) death and burial.
When anyone is saved and redeemed by the blood of Jesus, this is the model for our act of worship, surrender of our worldly possessions, (material possessions, pride of life, ego, status, achievements and the like), and the washing away of our sins by our identifying with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.
You are saved by God’s grace through your faith in Jesus. But, as James tells us, “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. For faith without works is dead”. (see James 2:18-26).
It is the example that memorialized Mary’s love and dedication to Jesus. It is the act that will memorialize you in your devotion and love of Jesus and set an example for those who come after you.
Baptism as a ritual or as a sacrament alone, is not enough as our sole act of identifying with Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. We must truly die to our former self, relinquish our rights to our former possessions and ways of life as an act of both true submission to and worship of Jesus. Then we are truly made new and given a new life worth living.
We follow Him in life, death, burial and resurrection.
Remember, these are the acts of the Apostles. Please also remember that this series is not intended to be a traditional commentary books of the Bible. Nor is it intended to be a narrative about the books of the Bible. It is intended to be “a look behind the scenes”, so to speak. This is about God’s coming to know, understand and to follow God’s primary plan and purpose for His creation and His created ones. This is intended to help us find application of His Grand Plan and Purpose, #1, for our individual lives, #2, for our corporate lives as His Church, and #3, to find and apply His wisdom, His authority and the power that emanates from the Holy Spirit and flows into our lives as we move and exist in His presence.
In the previous chapter, Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. The Synagogue of the Freedmen, argued with Stephen, unable to cope with his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking, they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him before the Council. They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop speaking against this holy place and the Law.
(Commentary Break): In the following verses, Stephen presents a “history lesson” of Israel and how they rejected the Chief Cornerstone, the Messiah, and murdered Him out of their arrogance. He rightly accuses them saying their priests demand others keep their Law, but they fail to keep their Law for themselves.
I believe God has provided us with this account so we, like Stephen, would vigorously defend the Gospel Message, and when necessary, holding those calling themselves “leaders in the Church” to account, even to our own peril. Otherwise, this chapter in the Book of Acts is little more than just a ‘bible story’ . (End Commentary Break).
Stephen’s Defense
Acts 7:1, Now the high priest said, “Are these things so?” Verse 2. And Stephen said, “Listen to me, brothers and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, verse 3, and He said to him, ‘GO FROM YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME TO THE LAND WHICH I WILL SHOW YOU.’ Verse 4. Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. Verse 5. But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child. Verse 6. But God spoke to this effect, that his DESCENDANTS WOULD BE STRANGERS IN A LAND THAT WAS NOT THEIRS, AND THEY WOULD ENSLAVE AND MISTREAT THEM FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. Verse 7. ‘AND WHATEVER NATION TO WHICH THEY ARE ENSLAVED I MYSELF WILL JUDGE,’ said God, ‘AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.’ Verse 8. And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham fathered Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs.
Verse 9. “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, verse 10, and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and his entire household.
Verse 11. “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food. Verse 12. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. Verse 13. And on the second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was revealed to Pharaoh. Verse 14. Then Joseph sent word and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five people in all.Verse 15And Jacob went down to Egypt, and he and our fathers died there. Verse 16. And they were brought back from there to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
Verse 17. “But as the time of the promise which God had assured to Abraham was approaching, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, verse 18, until ANOTHER KING AROSE OVER EGYPT WHO DID NOT KNOW JOSEPH. Verse 19. It was he who shrewdly took advantage of our nation and mistreated our fathers in order that they would abandon their infants in the Nile, so that they would not survive. Verse 20. At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful to God. He was nurtured for three months in his father’s home. Verse 21. And after he had been put outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. Verse 22. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was proficient in speaking and action. Verse 23. But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his countrymen, the sons of Israel. Verse 24. And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended and took vengeance for the oppressed man by fatally striking the Egyptian. Verse 25. And he thought that his brothers understood that God was granting them deliverance through him; but they did not understand. Verse 26. And on the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting each other, and he tried to reconcile them to peace, by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers, why are you injuring each other?’ Verse 27. But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? Verse 28. YOU DO NOT INTEND TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY, DO YOU?’ Verse 29. At this remark, MOSES FLED AND BECAME A STRANGER IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN, where he fathered two sons.
Verse 30. “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. Verse 31. When Moses saw it, he was astonished at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came: Verse 32. ‘I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND ISAAC, AND JACOB.’ Moses shook with fear and did not dare to look closely. Verse 33. But the LORD said to him, ‘REMOVE YOUR SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND. Verse 34. I HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN EGYPT, AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANING, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO RESCUE THEM; AND NOW COME, I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.’
Verse 35. “This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. Verse 36. This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. Verse 37. This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR COUNTRYMEN.’ Verse 38. This is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness together with the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to you. Verse 39. Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, verse 40, saying to Aaron, ‘MAKE US A GOD WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT — WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.’ Verse 41. At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, an d were rejoicing in the works of their hands. Verse 42. But God turned away and gave them over to serve the heavenly lights; as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘YOU DID NOT OFFER ME VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FOR FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, DID YOU, HOUSE OF ISRAEL? Verse 43. YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF YOUR GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL DEPORT YOU BEYOND BABYLON.’
Verse 44. “Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. Verse 45. Our fathers in turn received it, and they also brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations that God drove out from our fathers, until the time of David. Verse 46. David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob. Verse 47. But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. Verse 48. However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:
Verse 49. ‘HEAVEN IS MY THRONE,
AND THE EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET;
WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?’ says the Lord,
‘OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REST?
Verse 50. ‘WAS IT NOT MY HAND THAT MADE ALL THESE THINGS?’
Verse 51. “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Verse 52. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, and you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him; verse 53. you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
(Commentary Break): I encourage you, brothers and sisters, followers of Jesus, with great caution in my soul, to carefully study these words of Stephen, as well as the rest of the scriptures, in order to be encouraged and to be made able to preserve the truth and the sanctity of the mission and message of Jesus. Study Jesus. Pray and submit yourself to Him entirely.
Throughout history, the True Church has been the beacon of salvation, self-sacrifice and service in the Name and the Ways of Jesus, even unto death. This is our model and our calling.
But, be wary of the “wolfves in sheep’s clothing” which can appear as an angel dressed in light, but are in fact an agents of this present darkness. Avoid churches and church leaders that present the Gospel cloaked in unnecessary emotionalism and fanfare but deny the power therein.
Be part the Army of God. Join the resistance. Maintain your strength in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God and stand firm against the schemes of the devil, against the ruler and powers against the world forces of this darkness, against the forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Speak boldly as you ought to speak.
Now, peace be to you, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, Grace be to all of you who love our Lord Jesus with an incorruptible love! (End Commentary Break).
Stephen Put to Death
Verse 54. Now when they heard this, they were infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. Verse 55. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; verse 56, and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Verse 57. But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one mind. Verse 58. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. Verse 59. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Verse 60. Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep. (End text for Chapter 7).
These final verses, 54 through 60, give us a clear and frightening “behind the scenes look” that which is being manifested before our eyes, that which comes from the dark spiritual realms. But we have no need to fear. He has ordained that we will overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of our testimony and that we do not love our life even when faced with death (see Revelation 12:10-11). Amen and amen!
Now, let’s do everything from a kind heart but with a resolute mind in serving our Lord and the Gospel.
Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional – Part 55
“The Parable of the Fig Tree – He is Near”
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, thisgeneration will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
The Words of Jesus, Matthew 24:32-35.
These verses, by way of metaphor, give us important instructions about the timing of Jesus return and the end of the age and God’s Eternal nature.
However, you must be able to understand that these words of Jesus are Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional and can only be spiritually discerned and can only be acted upon by way of The Spirit of God as they are manifested in the natural world.
Also, these verse should be included as part of a much larger teaching. Here are topical headings of this entire teaching, beginning in Matthew 24:1, which gives us the ‘big picture’:
1. Jesus Foretells The Destruction of the Temple. (This is prophetic, metaphorical and literal.)
2. Jesus’ Disciples ask Him About the sign of His coming and of the End of The Age.
3. Jesus Tells of The Signs, which, although originated in the Spiritual world, are literally manifested in the natural world, leading to of the End of the Age.
4. Jesus Foretells of The Abomination of Desolation. This is the literal manifestation of the final global defiance of and rebellion against God.
5. Jesus Tells of The Coming of the Son of Man. This is the sign that it is finished, this time for the world and creation. The Son is coming to remove His Elect from the earth and take us to our Heavenly home, to defeat the two beasts and the antichrist and to exact His Judgement on earth.
6. Jesus instructs how we can know the season of His return and the End of The Age by using the Fig Tree as a metaphor. Those who have ears to hear, must listen and heed His Words.
7. Jesus Instructs that No One Knows That Day and Hour of His Return and the End of The Age, but that we are to Stay Ready.
8. Jesus teaches about the reward and the consequences of readiness through The Parable of the Ten Virgins.
9. Jesus Teaches About the cost of being slothful, tardy and fearful and the rewards of faithfulness, trust and responsibility.
10. Jesus tells of the Final Judgment, gives the metaphor of the separation of the sheep, (the righteous) and the goats (the condemned) and the rewards of eternal life or eternal punishment.
11. Jesus reveals the plot of His crucifixion and death.
You are born, you live and you will die. You will have one chance at this. Knowing the sequence of events, the rewards of righteousness and the consequences of rebelliousness is paramount to your survival, both now and eternally.
THE RESCUE OF THE RIGHTEOUS
If you are a believer and follower of Christ, alive on earth when the Sixth Seal is broken, you will be one of those remaining, the remnant, who will live through the most amazing of experiences.
You will see the sun darkened.
The moon will go dark.
Stars falling from heaven.
The heavens shaken.
The sign of the son of man in the heaven.
The people of earth mourning.
Jesus coming on the clouds with power.
You will hear the angels and the trumpet call.
Angels will gather you (Rapture you) with the elect from the four corners of the earth.
Jesus has just told about the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal and the ‘Gathering of the Elect from the four winds of the earth’ (the Rapture), now He tells us what it will be like just before the rapture and the beginning of the final 7 years of judgment:
Matthew 24:36, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
A description of the coming Rapture of the saints and of those left behind – So will be the coming of the Son of man – you also must be ready.
For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
The Reward of the Faithful Servant
They were all called ‘servants’ but only the ones who did what the Master said are rewarded. The wicked disobedient will be cut to pieces and put with the hypocrites where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:45, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant*, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
The Punishment of the Wicked
But if that wicked servant* says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Reward of the Wise and the Rejection of the Foolish
They were all expecting to meet the bridegroom (Jesus) but only the wise were allowed into the wedding party. The foolish were left alone.
Matthew 25:1, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’
But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
The Rewards of the Faithful and the Punishment Fearful Servants
They were all called ‘servants’ of the Master. But only the faithful are rewarded and the fearful are counted as worthless and are cast into the outer darkness.
Matthew 25:14, “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So, take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Final Judgment
The faithful sheep on His right and the goats on His left. The sheep who showed compassion, mercy and servanthood are welcomed into the kingdom prepared for them since the foundation of the world.
The unfaithful goats on His left are told to depart from Him, and are called cursed, and sent into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels
Matthew 25:31, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The Plot to Kill Jesus
With His teaching and instructing completed, Jesus reveals that everything we have heard which is planned ahead of time will be set into motion with His crucifixion. The fuse is lit. Nothing will ever be the same again.
Matthew 26:1, “When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
Links to a Spiritual Gifts Test at the end of this article
“DO YOU KNOW YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT?”
Have you ever been asked that question before?
So, do you? Do you know your Spiritual Gift? And, if you do know your Spiritual Gift – SO WHAT?
What I mean is, SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR PRECIOUS GIFT from the Holy Spirit?
Spiritual gifts, (charismata) are an endowment or extraordinary powers given by the Holy Spirit.
These supernatural graces, are given to individual Christians by the Holy Spirit with the purpose of building up the Body of Christ which is The Church and are needed to fulfill the mission of the Church. Spiritual Gifts enable Christians to serve the Lord and His Church.
Two important Truths have been lost over time, and this loss is rendering God’s Church as less effective in Her mission and, is in fact, soiling His Bride.
Truth #1. Many in the Church have become grossly “self-serving”.
It is through Spiritual Gifts that God empowers and enables us to serve Him and to serve His Church, which is His Body. We are, as Christians, to serve the Lord and His Church.
Jesus, Himself, said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”
That is our calling also. We are not here to be served, we are here to serve.
Truth #2. You and I are The Body of Christ, that is we are “The Church”.
We have become accustomed, over the last two millennium (beginning with Constantine) with the idea that we ‘go to church’, but that is impossible in God’s Kingdom and in His economy because we are The Church.
Jesus created His Church, His Body, and made it so the whole Body fits together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
The Holy Spirit guides us, convict us, defends us and empowers us.
Jesus transformed the practice and attitude of ‘going to church’. He also teaches about not allowing external things to convict or to defend us. We are to depend on and call upon the Holy Spirit for those things. Jesus has told us that His laws are now written upon our hearts and in our consciences.
We must BE the Body of Christ, The Church, and behave as such, or we simply are not following Jesus.
No matter what we believe or say or do, we are not a follower of Jesus and we should not call ourselves by His Holy Name, if we are not behaving as Jesus says.
We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus and called to serve. We are God’s church.
Here is a list of the Gifts which God gives His Body. See if you can find which gift or gifts are yours. Can you imagine how different things would be in The Church and the world around us if we engaged and used these Gifts, daily?
Prophecy Word of wisdom Apostle Apostle
Serving Word of knowledge Prophet Prophet
Teaching Faith Teacher Evangelist
Exhortation Gifts of healing Miracles Pastor
Giving Miracles Kinds of healing Teacher
Overseer Prophecy Helps
Mercy Distinguishing spirits Administration
Tongues Tongues
Interpretation of tongues
Sometimes, Spiritual Gifts are mistakenly considered to be a natural talent or a person’s proclivity, a natural inclination. Natural talents can mimic Gifts of the Holy Spirit, but, they will never accomplish God’s purposes effectively.
Please remember, these are not natural talents. These are supernatural Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Here is a more detailed description and function of the Gifts.
Apostle: The title apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos which means “a messenger, one sent forth with orders”. It refers to one who has been delegated authority by another in a foreign land. Apostles were the first leaders of the Church; they were commissioned by Jesus to initiate and direct the preaching of the gospel. (There is no passage in the Bible saying this gift was temporary nor that is has ceased)
Prophet: In the New Testament, the office of prophet is to equip the saints for the work of service through exhortation, edification, and consolation (1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Corinthians 14:3 Ephesians 4:11). The prophet’s corresponding gift is prophecy. Prophecy is “reporting something from God’s Word that God brings to your mind”.
Prophecy is addressed to the human understanding “he who prophesies speaks to men,” Corinthians 14:1-25. The prophet “edifies the church” (14:4).
Evangelist: An evangelist is one who devotes himself to preaching the gospel. In the New Testament, evangelists preached from city to city, church to church.
Pastor: This term derives from a Greek word for “shepherd”. Pastoral Gifts include integrity and compassion.
The term “poimén” primarily refers to a shepherd, one who tends, leads, and cares for a flock of sheep. In the New Testament, it is used both literally and metaphorically. Literally, it describes those who care for sheep, while metaphorically, it refers to leaders or pastors who guide and nurture a community of believers, akin to a shepherd with his flock.
The image of a shepherd was deeply embedded in the cultural and religious consciousness of the Israelites, often symbolizing leadership, provision, and protection. This imagery is prevalent throughout the Bible, where God is depicted as the ultimate Shepherd of His people, and leaders are often called to emulate this role.
(The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep to defend the sheep from attackers to heal the wounded and sick sheep to find and save lost or trapped sheep to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.
During World War II, a shepherd was a pilot who guided another pilot whose plane was partially disabled back to the base or carrier by flying alongside him to maintain visual contact.)
Teacher: Someone who devotes his or her life to preaching and teaching the Christian faith. When teaching is provided for the Church by God, two gifts are actually given—to the Church is given a teacher and along with the teacher comes a divine capacity to teach.
Service: The word translated as “ministry” is diakonia, which can also be translated “service”. Since there are many types of ministries and service to the Church, this then describes a broad array of gifts rather than a single gift.
Exhortation: The ability to motivate Christians “to patient endurance, brotherly love, and good works”.
Giving: Those with this gift share their own possessions with others with extraordinary generosity. While all Christians should be givers, those possessing this gift will go beyond this normal giving.
Overseeing: This gift speaks to the various roles found in the Church. While many think of roles such as administration, management of funds, strategy planning, etc. as functions outside of the supernatural realm, in reality individuals in these positions are just as in need of supernatural empowerment as are ministers of the gospel. This is sometimes inappropriately called ‘leadership’.
Mercy: Possibly identical to the gift of helps, the mercy-shower possesses a ministry of visitation, prayer, and compassion to the poor and sick.
Word of wisdom: An utterance or message of wisdom supernaturally granted to an individual. For Paul, wisdom refers to “the knowledge of the great Christian mysteries: the Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ, and the indwelling in the believer of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2; Ephesians 1:17)”.
Word of knowledge: The knowledge referred to is often said to relate to understanding Christian doctrine or scriptural truth. It is sometimes said to be connected with the ministry of teachers.
Faith: This refers to that strong or special faith “which removes mountains, casts out devils (Matthew 17:19–20), and faces the most cruel martyrdom without flinching”. It is distinguished from the “saving” and “normal” Christian faith.
Gifts of healing: The ability to supernaturally minister healing to others. The plural indicates the variety of sickness healed and the many forms the gift takes, such as healing by anointing with oil, by the laying on of hands, by saying the name of Jesus or by the sign of the cross.
Working of miracles: The performance of deeds beyond ordinary human ability by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Visions. An outpouring of this gift is prophesied in Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17 and is expected to increase and be of great value in the “last days”.
Discerning of spirits: The capacity to discern, distinguish, or to discriminate the source of a spiritual manifestation—whether it emanates from a good or evil spirit. It seemed to have been particularly associated with prophecy as it would be necessary to know whether a prophetic utterance was truly inspired by God.
Tongues: The supernatural ability of speaking an unlearned language. Paul seems to have distinguished between the public use of the gift (which must always be interpreted) and the private use which was for the spiritual strengthening of oneself.
(Among Christians there is a discussion as to whether tongues were/are always xenoglossy, which is speaking an unlearned human language, or whether it also included/includes glossolalia, which is speaking an unlearned and allegedly non-human language of heavenly or angelic origin).
The Apostle Paul had a lot to say about tongues in the church. For example, in 1 Corinthians 14:23, Paul says, “Therefore if the whole church gathers together and all the people speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are insane?” Paul encourages order, reason, and emphsizes the higher gifts of prophecy and teaching.
Interpretation of tongues: This gift always follows the public exercise of the gift of tongues.
(In 1 Corinthians 14, the Apostle Paul required that all speech in Christian worship should be intelligible. This required that speech given in an unknown tongue be interpreted in the common language of the gathered Christians.)
Helps: This gift has to do with service to the sick and the poor. Possessor of this gift has a “spiritual burden and a God-given love for the needy and afflicted”.
Administration: Also called the gift of governing, the Greek word translated “governments” is kubernesis, the verb form of which means “to steer” or “to be a helmsman”. This gift then refers to the God-given capacity to oversee or guide the Church through storms and difficult seas.
(NOTE: Many versions of the Bible and many theologians and bible teachers say the word “leader” or “leadership” is a Spiritual gift. That is a misunderstanding of the correct word and intention of the word “overseer”. )
I pray that you will consider the Gifts God has given you and how you can serve His Church and affect the world around you as we make ready for His return.
There are many places you can find and take a Spiritual Gifts test for the purpose of applying what God has so graciously and generously given you. Here are just two of such web sites:
WHAT ARE YOU TO BELIEVE – WHAT ARE YOU TO DO – WHAT ARE YOU TO BE ?
I submit that there are at least four basic elements of a Christian church, and not necessarily in this order: (1). Community, (2). The well-being of and the ministering to the Christians in the church, (3). Training and teaching the Church (those within the church) the mindset, attitudes, methods and ways of Jesus, and, (4). Sending Christian disciples into the world to make disciples, teaching them to observe all that He has taught us. (This may be the order initially necessary to get everyone settled in, oriented to the mission, and then sent out on mission.
But in order of mission priority, it more likely would be, (first). Training and teaching the Church (those within the church) the mindset, attitudes, methods and ways of Jesus, and, (second). Sending Christian disciples into the world to make disciples, teaching them to observe all that He has taught us. (third). The well-being of and the ministering to the Christians in the church, (fourth). Community.
Of course, each element is important, in and of itself, and are probably interchangeable depending on the stage of the Church Body growth and maturity. (I also believe that far too much emphasis is placed on church numerical growth and too little emphasis is placed on fulfilling the Great Commission.)
But this matter is not as ‘cut and dried’ as it sounds. Jesus spoke these words, “For God so loves the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Because He loves us, He is providing us with promises of our redemption from the curse of sin and death and our safekeeping both now and eternally with Him in heaven. This is the Good News.
This is not a labor of ‘blood, sweat and tears’, it is a labor of love. And, until the disciple fixes this in their mind and attitude, very little will get done in the Name of Jesus.
I would ask, what are we, as churches claiming the Name of Jesus, actually teaching and encouraging Christians to do? What are your church sermons, Sunday school classes, discipleship classes and revival meetings encouraging? Is the central and primary message the love of God through Jesus for our world? Does your church sermons and teachings inspire you to tell of His great love for them, and to warn them of the coming judgement? Are they teaching, encouraging and inspiring you to do what Jesus commanded and taught, or are we just teaching about the Bible and about Jesus?
Let’s take a brief look at WHAT Jesus thought, taught and WHAT Jesus demonstrated and told His followers, His disciples to do, and compare it to what you are doing in your local church Body. Then, perhaps, we would make some much-needed adjustments and return to the teachings of Jesus, and really live.
(I will garner this information directly from the Words of Jesus found in the New Testament of the Bible).
MATTHEW 4
This is the second recorded time in the New Testament that Jesus spoke:
Matthew 4:4, “But he answered, “It is written, ’Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’.
First, the word “live” here is the Greek verb, zaó, which primarily means “to live” or “to be alive.” It is used in the New Testament to describe physical life, spiritual life, and eternal life. The term encompasses both the biological aspect of living and the qualitative aspect of life that is found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is often used to contrast life with death, both physically and spiritually.
In the Greco-Roman world, life was often understood in terms of physical existence and vitality. However, in the Jewish and early Christian context, life had a deeper, spiritual dimension. The concept of life was closely tied to one’s relationship with God, obedience to His commandments, and the hope of resurrection. The New Testament writers, particularly the Apostle John, emphasize the abundant and eternal life that Jesus offers to believers, which transcends mere physical existence.
The word, “word” in this verse is the Greek word, ‘stoma’, meaning “the mouth, speech, eloquence in speech, the point of a sword”. This is the breath or the breathed Word of God.
Jesus is saying that life is more than what we eat or drink. In fact, life is meaningless, left wanting and impotent without the Breath of God, the Breathed Word of God which gave us life and continues to give us life!
These marching orders for the Church are like the Word found in Joshua 1:1-19 and of Deuteronomy 6:1-11, which have been fulfilled or completed by the advent of Jesus the Messiah.
Joshua 1:1-9,After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead.Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.
For then, you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
The book of Joshua is told and re-told as a narrative about the continuing the story of the Israelites after the exodus from Egypt. It is presented as chronicles of the approximately 20 years of Joshua’s leadership of the people after Moses anointed him at the end of Deuteronomy. The twenty-four chapter divisions of the Book of Joshua are summarized as follows:
Chapters 1 through 12: Entering and conquering the Promised Land.
Chapters 13 through 22: Instructions for distributing the portions of the Promised Land.
Chapters 23 and 24: Joshua’s farewell address.
Joshua is presented as a prime example of the benefits of a worthy mentor. For years, he remained close to Moses. He watched Moses as he followed God in an almost flawless manner. He learned to pray in a personal way from Moses. Furthermore, he learned how to obey through the example of Moses. Joshua apparently also learned from the negative example that cost Moses the joy of actually entering the Promised Land.
But more than this, these words were written to you and for you. They are, by their nature, prophetic and therefor are instructional, creative and causative. They speak the truth to you and when you set your mind on them by meditating on them and make them your own in order to do them, they will tell the truth to you and through you! And no man will be able to stand before you to obstruct your path, all the days of your life!
Deuteronomy 6:1-11,“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules, that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you,all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.
Hear therefore, O Israel,and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you,and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord, is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
“And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
What are we, therefore, TO BELIEVE, TO DO and TO BE?
These are the Words of God. Some call them the promises of God, and that they are. But they are more. They are creative, causative and prophetic.
Please, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. These are the Words, teachings and commands of Jesus. We are His Body. Let’s BE the Church and do His works! He has given these things to the ones who believes.
The mind set on these things of the Spirit of God bring life and peace.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young.
NEXT: (coming soon). TO THE CHURCH – Matthew 4:7, Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
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Let me begin by saying that it is my firm conviction that scriptures are inerrant (without any error), and I will add, “in the original manuscripts”, particularly since there are over 450 known versions of the Bible in the English language alone. And the matter of inerrancy can be further complicated as the Bible has been translated into over 700 languages.
Versions vs Translations.
When it comes to a Version of the Bible, translators will focus on conveying the meaning of the text instead of strictly mirroring the exact wording or syntax.Versions such as the New International Version (NIV) or the New Living Translation (NLT) can be easier to read and understand, especially for those without historical-linguistic expertise. This approach presents Scripture in a more contemporary style, though at times the original phrase structures are smoothed out to ensure greater readability.
However, this approach leaves open the possibility of the translator omitting certain words or phrases found in the original manuscripts, or adding a meaning to fit a particular denominational view, a political view, a social or economic view or a personal worldview. This can lead to errors in the original author’s intent and context of scriptures.
Paraphrased or expanded translated Versions take a looser approach to wording, aiming for clarity and devotionally oriented reading. Examples include The Message (MSG) and The Living Bible (TLB), which give fresh expressions but are not usually recommended as primary study Bibles. Some translators feel that they can, however, be helpful alongside more literal versions for additional nuances of meaning.
Translations emerge from a desire to make Scripture accessible in various languages and cultures. The ancient Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the Old Testament and the Koine Greek texts of the New Testament are the ultimate sources. Over centuries, scholars have pieced together the earliest manuscripts, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls (date range from about 3rd century BC to 1st century AD), the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures dated around the 3rd-2nd century BC), and numerous Greek New Testament manuscripts (including Codex Sinaiticus,Codex Vaticanus, etc.) – to accurately transmit Scripture’s words.
Each translator or Translation committee must consider two primary goals: (1). Faithfulness to the original text and (2), readability in the receptor language. This tension has produced different philosophies of translation, each influencing how closely a modern Bible version adheres to precise wording or broader meaning.
So, please forgive me for being surprised to astounded that so much of the plain word of God has been and is being either misread, misinterpreted, misused or distorted and then taught as the truth of scriptures and formulated into a doctrine when it is clearly and obviously does not conform the earliest manuscripts or is sometimes deliberately taught as a way to achieve an agenda that is not Gospel centered.
I seriously and openly welcome you to challenge what I am presenting so we can discuss these matters if you will do so in a civil, responsible and reasonable way. I.e., no hostilities.
I have studied and written extensively on eschatological matters (relating to End Times and the End of This Age) using the Book of Matthew and the Book of Revelation as my primary sources and other relevant chapters and verses of the Bible for context, corroboration, collaboration and evidence of facts.
Furthermore, I am using, alternatively, the New American Standard Version of the Bible, the English Standard Version because of their close proximity to the original wording and intent of the authors of the Bible, and occasionally the King James and the Amplified versions to corroborate context. I will also use the BlueLetterBible.com, BibleHub.com and Biblegateway.com for translations to and from the Greek (New Testament) and Hebrew (Old Testament) languages, and for verb usage (tense), and for Strong’s Bible concordance definitions, context, historicity and for social, political and cultural nuances of wording and phraseology.
In this essay, I am corroborating my previous Bible and eschatological studies from the books Matthew and Revelation (used as my focus books), with the Book of Mark.
Here is my Thesis: The Bible, i.e., the Scriptures, have consistently foretold, (prophesied), the coming of a Messiah, both from the Hebrew Bible or the Torah and from the Christian Bible. The Messiah, or “Mashiach” meaning “Anointed One” is seen throughout many Old Testament passages, culminating in the New Testament with the person of Jesus, identified as the Christ – The Savior of the World. The arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, set in motion what the Bible calls the ‘Last Days’ or the ‘End of The Age’. The study of this subject is known as Christian ‘eschatology’. It can be most clearly seen, in the New Testament, in the book of Matthew, Mark, Revelation with certain details and context given in other New Testament books such as 1 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians 10:11, 2 Timothy 3:1,Hebrews 1:2,Hebrews 9:26,1 Peter 1:20,1 Peter 4:7,2 Peter 3:3.1 John 2:18.Revelation 1:9.
“The End of The Age” or the “Last Days” began in or around the time of the birth of Jesus through around A.D. 99. These prophesied and prophetic events are first described in the breaking of Tribulation Seals One through Five. (See Matthew 24:1-14, Mark 13:1-13, and Revelation 6:1-11.)
The breaking or opening of these first Five Seals, known as the Birth Pains (phase) of the Tribulation, have been overlapping and intensifying to the present day, preparing us for the breaking of the two final Seals, the Judgement Seals (Six and Seven – see Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, and Revelation 6:12-17, Revelation 7:1-17, Revelation 8:1.), followed by the sounding of the Seven Judgement Trumpets and finally, followed by the pouring out of the Seven Judgment Bowls of Wrath and the Wrath of the Lamb.
The breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Judgment Seal, which is yet a future event, will usher in The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, also known as the Great Tribulation and initiates the final Seven years of the Great Tribulation and the Wrath of the Lamb.
Mark 13:1, “As Jesus was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look! What wonderful stones and [footnote b]what wonderful buildings!” verse 2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
verse 3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew were questioning Him privately, verse 4“Tell us, when will these things come about,
(This verb “Tell” is in the Aorist Tense which is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time. [It could also be said that this is how God sees time]. There is no direct or clear English equivalent for this tense, though it is generally rendered as a simple past tense in most translations. The events described by the aorist tense are classified into a number of categories by grammarians. The most common of these include a view of the action as having begun from a certain point (“inceptive aorist”), or having ended at a certain point (“cumulative aorist”), or merely existing at a certain point (“punctiliar aorist”). A continuous and continuing action. The categorization of other cases can be found in Greek reference grammars. The English reader need not concern himself with most of these finer points concerning the aorist tense, since in most cases they cannot be rendered accurately in English translation, being fine points of Greek exegesis only.The common practice of rendering an aorist by a simple English past tense should suffice in most cases.
This is important, because to the reader it may seem that these disciples, Peter, James, John and Andrew are asking Jesus a question about the FUTURE, and that Jesus’ response seems to be in the FUTURE TENSE, but Jesus’ answers in the AORIST TENSE, i.e., something has already occurred at a certain point in the past (“inceptive aorist”), or having ended at a certain point, (“cumulative aorist”) and is existing at a certain point (“punctiliar aorist”).
NOTE: The Bible uses this type of description of time (from God’s view of time) when it says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” or ““I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
verse 4 continued, and what willbe the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”
Once again this sounds as if it is a question about a future event, but these words, “what will be the sign” are actually a verb spoken and written in the PRESENT TENSE, which represents a simple statement of fact or reality viewed as occurring in actual time. In most cases this corresponds directly with the English present tense. Some phrases which might be rendered as past tense in English will often occur in the present tense in Greek. These are termed “historical presents,” and such occurrences dramatize the event described as if the reader were there watching the event occur. Some English translations render such historical presents in the English past tense, while others permit the tense to remain in the present.
Again, this is important because we are hearing of an event or of events which are simultaneously past, present and future.There are evidentiary statements and testimonies of the disciples and of Jesus, regarding these Last Days events, were initially spoken in or around A.D. 1 through around A.D. 99, and were consistently referred to asLAST DAYS – THE LAST TIMES – THE END OF THE AGES – THE END OF ALL THINGS – THE BIRTH PAINS OF THE TRIBULATION”.These first Five Tribulation Seals had begun to be opened in or around A.D. 1 through A.D. 99, have continued to occur, overlap and intensify to this very day. In other words, the tribulation has already begun. We are in the tribulation period known as The Birth Pains and that period will both culminate, merge with and initiate the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Judgment Seal, marking the beginning of the Day of The Great Tribulation, also known as the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the Wrath of the Lamb, initiating the rapture of the Elect of God off the earth and into the presence of God before His Throne.
verse 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. verse 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and they will mislead many.
verse 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. verse 8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;
there will be earthquakes in various places;
there will also be famines.
These things are only the beginning of birth pains.
verse 9 “But [e]be on your guard; for they will hand you over to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. verse 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. verse 11 And when they ]arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you at that time; for you are not the ones speaking, but it is the Holy Spirit. verse 12 And brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
verse 13 And you will be hated by everyone because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
verse 14 “Now when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be—let the reader understand—then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. verse 15 Whoever is on the [l]housetop must not go down, nor go in to get anything out of his house. verse 16 And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. verse 17 But woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days! verse 18 Moreover, pray that it will not happen in winter.
verse 19 For those days will be such a time of tribulation as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will again. verse 20 And if the Lord had not shortened those days, no [n]life would have been saved; but for the sake of the [footnote “o”] elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
This marks the end of the Tribulation of The Birth Pains and the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
verse 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Look, there He is’; do not believe it; verse 22 for false christs and false prophets will arise, and will provide signs and wonders, in order to mislead, if possible, the elect. verse 23 But beware; I have told you everything inadvance.
The Return of Christ
24 “But in those days, afterthattribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they willsee the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
The word “after” in verse 24 is a preposition referring to “those days” that came before they days now being mentioned. The word “that” is a demonstrative pronoun referring to which entity, which in this case is “the tribulation periods that preceded this mention”. And the word “tribulation” is the Greek word, “thlipsis” which is the word that is always used for tribulation, whether Tribulation Seals one through five, or six through seven, or the Tribulation Trumpets or the Tribulation Bowl Judgments and is distinctively different from and separate from “persecutions” or “stresses”.
27 And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His [q]elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.
We can also see in the corresponding scriptures in Revelation 6 and 7, “After these things (see Revelation 6:1 through Revelation 7:9), “I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
In recapitulation, Jesus appears in the sky, the angels gather the elect and immediately, a number too great to be counted is standing before the Throne of God, giving praise! Don’t be misled. This is THE RAPTURE!!)
So, what can we learn and apply from what we know, and what can we gain?
We can know that the Tribulation period of the first five Tribulation Seals began at or around the time of the Birth of Christ and that they have been overlapping and increasing in their intensity to this day.
Most in the Church today are still waiting for events that have already begun and are not prepared for what is upon them. Jesus warned against this:
28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. verse 30 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. verse 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. verse 32 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
verse 33 “Watch out, stay alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is. verse 34 It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. verse 35 Therefore, stay alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—verse 36 so that he does not come suddenly and find you asleep. verse 37 What I say to you I say to all: ‘Stay alert!’”
We also see in Matthew 24:48-51, “verse 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ verse 49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk; verse 50 then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, 51 and he will cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
We must be doing those things Jesus modeled, taught and commanded in preparation of the End of the Age and for His Return – nothing more and nothing less or one will hear the words, “Why do you call me Lord and have not done what I have told you? I do not know you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness!”
So, what will you do with what you have now read and heard? Will you continue to simply accept the word of another, or will you study it until you know for yourself? (And by the way, I realize that a lot of what I have presented is complicated and can be confusing. Some might say, ‘unnecessarily so’. But, like the old saying goes, ‘is anything that is easy or cheap really worth much?’ But, for those who are interested, I do have these very eschatological matters presented and discussed in several easier-to-understand versions. Sort of in an order of stepping stones, from simple to not-so-simple. But, I believe that each presentation leads to the same Biblically sound conclusion and will enable the disciple of Jesus, the fully devoted follower, to be informed and prepared for these Last Days. (Please see “God’s Plan Of Perfection – A Timeline from the Beginning to The End”, and “Is This The End of The Age?”, or “Did Jesus and His Apostles Really Say This?”).
While it would be easier and a lot less trouble to just say “I believe in Jesus, I go to church, I am active in various religious activities”, and to say you are saved, it is no easy thing to be saved and to really believe Him and follow Him. And although it is always God who does His Works through us, (it is never anything of or by ourselves), really following Jesus requires faith, obedience and action. We know that we walk by faith and not by sight, but it is not blind faith, but informed faith. We are informed by The Holy Spirit and Scriptures on how we are to believe, to think and to act. Scriptures tell us that He is the Lamp unto our feet. And though we may not know each step, we can know that when His Voice and circumstances line up with the revealed Word of God, we must move on it!
So, I encourage you to study to be approved by the Word of God. And I appeal to you to contact me with comments, questions or to discuss these matter further.
Acts 6:1,Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jewsagainst the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.Verse 2. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Verse 3. Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. Verse 4. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Verse 5. The announcement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. Verse 6. And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
(Commentary Break): This chapter begins with these important words: “Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number”. Too often, the idea of being a disciple of Jesus is disassociated from the idea of becoming a Christian. But they are one-and-the-same. Every new believer is to become a disciple. The Greek term, “mathétés”, refers to a disciple or follower, someone who learns from a teacher. In the New Testament, it is used to describe the followers of Jesus Christ, who were committed to learning from His teachings and emulating His life. Jesus, in Matthew 4:19, calls His first disciples, saying, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. The word, “follow” in the Greek language, is “deute”, and is an imperative command and not just an invitation. It is a call to draw near to the teacher; to look over His shoulder in order to closely observer the teacher’s ways and forever to be identified with that Teacher, and in this case, Jesus.
I am emphasizing the point because the vast majority of current-day Christian disciples only identify with Jesus using the moniker of Christian and avoid the responsibilities as His disciple. Jesus, in this same chapter of Matthew, verse 23, “went about in all of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, healing every disease and every sickness among the people”. This is repeated throughout His ministry, particularly in Matthew chapter 10 when He said to His disciples, “preach, saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, silver or copper for your money belts.” Tell me of just one true disciple, follower of Jesus who does this. We have created a professional clergy that in so many ways are prouder, more arrogant and slothful, and some are even more wicked than the Pharisees of Jesus’ ministry. This must change before He returns. His remnant is coming. Be His remnant from where you stand this moment!
Secondly, we should be astonished that some Jews, who had come to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, would engage in disputes and arguments with their brethren about the polity of the Church. This is especially astonishing considering that Jesus has only recently ascended and already disputes have begun. This is the beginning of what Jesus prophetically spoke about when He said there would be divisions and dissensions within His Church, which would eventually lead to widespread deception, delusions and apostasy (fallingawayfromthefaith).
This can be seen in the prophesied Birth Pains of the Fifth Seal of the Tribulation period. And, we are indeed seeing the amplification and intensification of apostasy in our Churches today, as we draw nearer to the End of The Age. (Also see The False Church Emerges).
We are seeing the first appointment of men into the office of deacon to serve the people in the Church so the Apostles and teachers could continue to minister the word. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 7. The word of God kept spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
Verse 8. And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. Verse 9. But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. Verse 10. But they were unable to cope with his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. Verse 11. Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” Verse 12. And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away, and brought him before the Council. Verse 13. They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop speaking against this holy place and the Law; verse 14, for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.”
(Commentary Break): First, Key Points: Despite the stresses and divisions within His Church, the Word of God kept spreading; the number of disciples kept increasing; the priests were becoming obedient to the word.
Then there were the ‘gatekeepers of the law and tradition’. The Synagogue of the Freedmen. They had correctly heard Stephen and Jesus but decided that this was a threat to their small grip on power. They would not accept the truth. So, like so many ‘leaders’, even in our churches today, they conspire to twist the truth to fit their narrative and will deny the Gospel at any cost. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 15. And all who were sitting in the Council stared at him, and they saw his face, which was like the face of an angel. (End chapter 6).
Little about men and women has changed, even to this day. There are local church leaders and so-called pastors, today, where you live, who will defend their own twisted version of Christianity and attempt to tighten their flimsy grip on power, craving recognition for themselves at the expense of the Gospel and the true disciples. They are selfish and arrogant. They destroy instead of building up. They claim to have the anointing of God, but they do not. They marginalize, taunt, deceive, bully and abuse the flock of God. The Apostle Paul says we are to expose them, avoid them and run from them!
We will see in the next chapter that the Pharisaical spirit is alive and well in the fledgling church, killing, stealing and destroying. So it is today.
But greater is He Who is in you, than he who is in the world!
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “Do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” Romans 11:18.
The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.
First, we will be confronted with various situations and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as:
“Do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” Romans 11:18.
IN CONTEXT
Romans 11:13, “But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, verse 14, in the hope of somehow making my fellow countrymen jealous [by stirring them up so that they will seek the truth] and perhaps save some of them. Verse 15. For if their [present] rejection [of salvation] is for the reconciliation of the world [to God], what will their acceptance [of salvation] be but [nothing less than] life from the dead? Verse 16. If the first portion [of dough offered as the first fruits] is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root (Abraham, the patriarchs) is holy, so are the branches (the Israelites).
Verse 17. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you [Gentiles], being like a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share with them the rich root of the olive tree, verse 18, do not boast over the [broken] branches and exalt yourself at their expense. If youdo boast and feel superior, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root that supports you. Verse 19. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Verse 20.That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by your faith [as believers understanding the truth of Christ’s deity]. Do not be conceited, but [rather stand in great awe of God and] fear [Him]; verse 21, for if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], He will not spare you either.”
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
“If I do boast and feel superior, I will remember that it is not me who supports the root, but the root that supports me.”
These verses are rich with symbolisms and metaphor. The Olive Tree comes to mind when talking about prophecy and about Israel. It is mentioned frequently in the Bible with regard to fruitfulness, health, and blessings. It is one of the seven species with which the land was blessed.
The branches of the olive tree are the Jewish people. The branches which have been grafted in are gentiles who have come to believe in Jesus.
Those branches which were broken off are the unbelieving Jews.
The warning is that we, gentile Christians, should never be arrogant, proud nor condescending toward the Jewish people because of our salvation. It is thanks to God and through His Chosen people that the Christ was given. Pray for Israel and pray for the Jewish people to come to the Messiah, Jesus.
Jewish people, in relation to the Olive Tree, associate it with the concept of “putting down roots” in the Holy Land. As such, olive trees appear in the emblems of both the State of Israel, as well as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The olive tree has also been used as a motif in many works of art and in Jewish culture throughout history.
Here are some specific examples of ways the symbolism of the olive tree is represented in the Jewish faith:
Peace: The olive tree has become a consistent symbol of peace over the years, thanks to the story of Noah’s Ark and the dove that brings back an olive branch as a way to inform Noah that the rain had subsided. Olive branches even became used as a means of showing peace to other leaders/nations.
Love and celebration: Olive branches were used to make wreaths for the heads of young people on their wedding days, and at festivals in biblical times. The pilgrims who brought their first fruits to Jerusalem decorated the horns of the bull that led the procession with olive branches.
Life and vitality: Throughout the Bible, there are consistent references to olive trees as symbols of life and vitality. For example, the people of Israel are referred to as “a green olive tree, beautiful with goodly fruit” in the book of Jeremiah. When King Solomon dies, the trees of the garden mourn, shedding their leaves.
We are to carry these symbolisms forward, manifesting them in our beliefs and conduct in honor of Jesus our Lord and God our Father.
Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional – Part 54
“It will all be torn down”
“Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. But He responded and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly, I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them,
“See to it that no one misleads or deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ (the Messiah), and they will mislead and deceive many people. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
“But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.”
The Words of Jesus, Matthew 24:1-8
The date is sometime around A.D. 29. Jesus is speaking to His disciples, instructing and warning them of things at hand, things they must concern themselves about.
Jesus is giving an outline and an overview, a synopsis of the tribulation period, beginning in Matthew chapter 24 with the breaking of the first tribulation seal through the sixth tribulation seal and concluding in Matthew chapter 25 of Matthew with this prophetic pronouncement of:
The signs of the tribulation period (the breaking of the first through the sixth tribulation seals; the 6th Seal is the beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation.
His glorious return in the clouds for all to see.
The Trumpet blast and the Gathering of His Elect (i.e., the rapture).
The parable of the fig tree as a metaphor for the timing of His Return and the beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, (the final 7 years of tribulation).
A warning to get ready and to stay ready for His Return.
Teaching on readiness and preparation.
An overview on the Judgment.
It is important to recognize that Jesus is speaking directly to His disciples in answer to their question, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus is teaching, instructing His disciples of the things, some of which they will encounter, regarding “the sign of His coming and of the end of the age”.
(I will cover through Matthew 24:31 in this “Part 53”, the partial events of the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal, and then complete Jesus teaching on the ‘season’ of these events, the need for preparation and the consequences of being unprepared in the next episode.)
Most teachings on this matter, mistakenly conclude that the entirety of the tribulation period is contained in one seven year future period. That is a misconception and is erroneous. The “birth pains” of the tribulation, as described by Jesus in Matthew 24:8, began at or around the time of the birth of Jesus, as testified to by the Apostles. Succeeding seals have been broken, and overlapping and intensifying up to our current day, all of which we have seen and have or are experiencing now – with the exception of the 6th Tribulation Seal, which is a future event, yet to come! Then, with the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Seal, the final 7 years of Great Tribulation, also known as the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the Wrath of the Lamb begins. (Click here for a full explanation with detail comparing Jesus’ prophetic teaching and instructions from Matthew 24, correlated with His extended teachings in Revelation chapters 6 through 8).
Jesus, warning against false messiahs, false teachings, misconception and error on these matters, clearly says, “See to it that no one misleads or deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ (the Messiah), and they will mislead and deceive many people.
NO ONE has the knowledge nor the authority to restate, reinterpret or to change what Jesus has taught. No man, no woman, no institution, no theologian, no teacher. No one. It is better to say, “I do not know” or “I am not sure” than to invent a meaning from man’s perspective. Jesus has said, “Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (see Matthew 5:19) and again, “If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.” (see Revelation 22:19)
Jesus’ next words are repeated with detail and more clarity in Revelation chapters six and seven (and greater details can be found through Revelation chapter twenty-one).
Jesus next words encapsulate tribulations seals ONE through FIVE and conclude with the clear and amazing statement that, ”all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.”Not the entire period, nor are they the end of all things. They are merely thebeginning of birth pains.
Here is Jesus’ enumeration of the breaking of the initial tribulation seals found in Matthew 24:6 through Matthew 24:31 coded in red, which ostensibly had already begun. Please carefully read (Matthew 24) verses twenty-nine through thirty-one and see them correlated and compared them with Jesus’ teaching on these same events in Revelation 6:1 through Revelation 7:17 coded in blue.
Matthew 24, Verse 6. And you will be hearing of (Seal #1), wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
Revelation 6, Verse 1. (Seal #1). Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come!” Verse 2. I looked, and behold, a white horse, and the one who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Matthew 24, Verse 7. “(Seal #2), For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and
Revelation 6, Verse 3. (Seal #2). When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” Verse 4. And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that people would kill one another; and a large sword was given to him.
(Seal #3), there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Revelation 6, Verse 5. (Seal #3). When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” I looked, and behold, a black horse, and the one who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”
Matthew 24, Verse 8. “But all these things are merely the beginning ofbirth pains.”
Matthew 24, Verse 9. “(Seal #4), Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.
Revelation 6, Verse 7. (Seal #4). When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” Verse 8. I looked, and behold, [i]an ashen horse; and the one who sat on it had the name Death, and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, and famine, and plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.
Matthew 24, Verse 10. (Seal #5), And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
Matthew 24, Verse 13. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Revelation 6, Verse 9. (Seal #5) When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; Verse 10. and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?” Verse 11. And a white robe was given to each of them; and they were told that they were to rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, was completed also.
(The Abomination of Desolation)
Matthew 24, Verse 15. (Seal #6), So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
Matthew 24, Verse 21. (Seal #6 continued), For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
Matthew 24, Verse 22. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. Then, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
Matthew 24, Verse 29. (Seal #6 completed), “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 30. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Verse 31. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet-call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Revelation 6, Verse 12(Seal #6 begins). And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; Verse 13. and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. Verse 14. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
Revelation 6 Verse 15. (Seal #6 continued) Then the kings of the earth and the eminent people, and the commanders and the wealthy and the strong, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; Verse 16, and they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the sight of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; Verse 17, for the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand.
Revelation 7, Verse 1. (Seal #6 continued) After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. Verse 2. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, Verse 3, saying, “Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
Revelation 7, Verse 4. (Seal #6 continued) And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: Verse 5, from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
Verse 6, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
Verse 7,from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
Verse 8, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
Revelation 7, Verse 9.(Seal #6 Continued).After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; Verse 10, and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Verse 11. And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, Verse 12, saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Revelation 7, Verse 13. (Seal #6 Continued). Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” Verse 14. I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7, Verse 15. (Seal #6 Continued – the rapture).For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. Verse 16. They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; Verse 17, for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Revelation 8, Verse 1. (Seal #6 COMPLETED). When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Verse 2. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Verse 3. Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. Verse 4. And the smoke of the incense ascended from the angel’s hand with the prayers of the saints before God. Verse 5. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder and sounds, and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Verse 6. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.”
THIS IS IMPORTANT
These verses from both Matthew and Revelation show:
The first five seals had already begun to be broken as early as A.D. 29.
His glorious return in the clouds for all to see.
The Trumpet blast and the Gathering of His Elect.
The parable of the fig tree as a metaphor for the timing of His Return and the beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, (the final 7 years of tribulation).
A warning to get ready and to stay ready for His Return.
Teaching on readiness and preparation.
An overview on the Judgment.
The Sealing of the 144,000 from the 12 Tribes of Israel.
The multitude saved out of the Tribulation.
The multitude before the Throne of God, i.e., THE RAPTURE.
If you will pray and study and ask God for understanding and clarification, you will see that the first five Tribulation Seals have been broken and that we are at the precipice of the 6th Tribulation Seal – the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord – The rapture and the final 7 years of the Great Tribulaion.
WARNING: Enter at your own risk. If you will, read, pray and meditate on the words of Jesus from the book of Matthew, chapter five, and absorb them into your mind, soul and spirit, then you may begin to experience a transformation, which at times will be exhilarating and at other times may be some of the most bewildering and difficult days of your life.
This experience has been, inadequately called, by many theologians and Bible teachers, ‘the process of sanctification’. (The process of making or becoming holy, set apart, sanctification, holiness, consecration; the believer being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness, and the similarity of His nature.) And, indeed, it is. But when you make this personal, it becomes much more.
Yet, herein lies the source of this great mystery. It requires we take a great journey which will take us back in time. We will travel back over 2,700 years to find the first words written about this greatest of mysteries. But the Bible says it existed long before that time. That it has always existed.
It is good to know about this oracle, but even better if you can discover it for yourself. Just knowing about it, however, can be of little use unless you know what to do with it – and then only if you actually do something.
One of the central obstacles to finding and deciphering this mystery is that it is indeed a mystery!. Its secrets are only revealed by God and only to those who are His own and who are spiritually minded. It has been stumbled across by many people, but understanding and applying this mystery to one’s life is the most difficult undertaking. This mystery and its power, with a few exceptions, have been almost universally misinterpreted, misunderstood, and misapplied.
Many people have tried to make sense of this mystery throughout the centuries, but by way of their own contemporary lens or paradigm. So, using their humanist viewpoint, many have come close, but most have failed.
Undeterred however, religious people have endeavored to codify this mystery into their own theologies, (studies of God), with their own doctrines, confessions, creeds, catechisms and liturgies. They have reformulated the Words contained in this Mystery, and restated them to fit their particular views. They have argued among themselves about it all and have started wars over its meaning. And there have been divisions and splits or schisms resulting in the creation of over 45,000 different Christian denominations, (see Wikipedia.com), each with their own set of values and practices ranging from those which are similar to those that hold weird and vastly opposing views.
Jesus, however, clearly taught and demonstrated the way to correctly appropriate, and to be appropriated by, this mysterious transforming power. He personally trained, equipped and sent eleven men into the world to propagate this message, to teach its mysteries and to submit themselves to its amazing powers. But almost from the beginning of this great commission to take this message to the world, it was being blurred and then was muddled into man’s view of what Jesus must have really meant.
Please know that I am certain that the efforts of many good people to understand and to spread this message of Good News were, and are, sincere and well-intentioned.
But the sad results we are dealing with are that people who are claiming the name of Christ are more divided than ever in their biases and their prejudices. They have become what the Bible describes as lawless and cold toward one another, lovers of self, greedy lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. And this is within the Church!
The only distinction from many churches and any other social event is that in some churches, you might hear a sermon or see bulletins lying around which reference upcoming religious activities.
It seems to have come to the point that Christians are little different from the pagans of the world! So what chance is there of transforming the world around us?
Yet, despite these things, there is Good News. Hidden within the clamor of pseudo-religious beliefs and practices, there still lies this mystery. One could say it remains hidden in plain sight. It is ever-present, waiting to be discovered or re-discovered. And, when you encounter this mystery, there will be no doubt that you have found “the treasure hidden within the field”, “the pearl of great price”. Its radiance is greater than the brightest star, and its difference is that of the day from the night. You will have found the source of the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control you have been seeking.
So, how do you begin your search for this mysterious and wonderful power? Jesus put it best when He said you must first “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is now at hand”.
If your life is absent the permanent and continuous flow of the fruit of the Spirit, you must repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.
If your life is missing out on the works that Jesus did, and even greater works of teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, healing all kinds of sickness and diseases, you must repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.
If you are living in loneliness, fear, doubt, lack and want, then you must repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.
If you and your behaviors are “friendly” with the world but at odds with the Words and Teachings of Jesus, you must repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.
Jesus is saying that you must begin by willingly and purposefully turning away from your current and closely held opinions and “religious belief systems” that do not align with those of Jesus the Christ. You must be able to honestly admit that what you have thought and practiced to this point is a failure. You must ‘deny yourself of your worldly attitude and dispose of your current ways of thinking and acting’, and start anew. This, however, is the reason most people who are being held by a religious spirit will not be able to discover this mystery nor can they understand it.
Additionally, you must know that you will find It only when you search for It with all your heart. You must search ‘like a deer, when it is dying of thirst, will search for water’.
Even then, it usually takes a crisis of some sort to bring a person to the point of surrendering to this process of discovery. So don’t be surprised or dismayed if that crisis occurs during your search. In fact, this anticipated crisis is actually part of God’s preparing you and enabling you to submit yourself to God and to receive. Please see “The Sermon On The Mount”.)
You must come to realize that this greatest of mysteries is only to be found within the person of Jesus Christ. And, the one who comes to Him must believe that He exists, and it is only then that He will prove to be the One Who rewards those who seek Him. (see Jeremiah 29:12-13 and Hebrew 11:6).
Once again, I tell you that this will be especially difficult for the person who has been inculcated with a contemporary, modern or postmodern view of Christianity. So, don’t lose heart as God strips away these layers of old religious varnish.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young.
NEXT: It Is (coming soon). All Good News – Chapter 2 – THE WILDERNESS
Ofttimes, people are ‘secretly’ reminded of their past sins and failures by circumstances they encounter. And this may cause many people to harbor a privately held low self-image and plagues them, at some level, with a low self-esteem. And if that isn’t enough, there are those around us that will remind you of your past or present inadequacies. Sometimes out of spite or in order to elevate their own image. That is bad news.
Here is the Good News. You don’t have to live in that cage. You do not have to be chained to that rock of humiliation any longer. There is a way to free yourself and to erase that past from the annals of shame, guilt and self-incrimination.
Let me repeat and restate a quote from a book I will leave unknown:
Here is a Mystery:
Believe it or not, and as strange as it may seem, there is a Power which exists that is able to transform your life, so radically, so completely, so thoroughly, that those who knew you beforehand, would hardly recognize you afterwards. In fact, you would hardly be able to recognize yourself when the process is complete.
You might even have to ask yourself, “Can I really be that man or that woman who went about under my name before?”
You are, in one sense the same person, but in another sense, you will have become someone utterly different.
This intensely real power, can pick you up today – right now – from the midst of loneliness, failure, ruin, misery, despair or any difficulty, and in the twinkling of an eye, as Paul said, begin to solve your problems, smooth out your difficulties, cut you free from entanglements and place you clear, safe and happy upon the highroad of freedom and opportunity.
It can lift you out of a socially, spiritually or morally invalid bed and make you sound and well.
It can free you to go and shape your life as it should be.
It can throw open the prison door and liberate the captive.
It has a healing balm for the bruised and broken heart.
This Power can teach you all things you need to know, if only you are receptive and teachable.
It can inspire you with new thoughts and ideas, so that your life’s work may be truly original, meaningful and lasting.
It can impart new and wonderful kinds of knowledge, as soon as you really want such knowledge – glorious knowledge – strange things not taught in schools or written in books.
It can find your true place in life, and put you into it, too.
It can find the right friends for you, kindred spirits who are interested in the same ideas and want the same things that you do.
It can provide you with an ideal home.
It can provide you the type of prosperity that means freedom. Not as the world knows prosperity. But the type of prosperity that means true Freedom. Free to be and to do and to go as your soul calls.
This transformation, for some people can begin as soon as they discover it and embrace it. For others, it may take time, as they unpack or relieve themselves of “the old person” and embrace the “new”.
What is this Power? This power, as I put it, is actually a Person. He is the Person of Jesus Christ. And you must possess this Person and you must allow Him to possess you, before this Power can transform you and your life as I have described..
Actually, it is not me saying these things. It is Jesus saying these things. And He says that this can only happen, “If you abide (live and find your being in) Him and His Words abide in you”. You must mentally and emotionally leave everything of this world, all that you possess and everything that possesses you. You must leave them behind, and follow Jesus – adapt and follow His teachings and His life – in order to experience this Transformative Power.
Jesus said you must deny yourself of your personal “fleshly desires”, that is things that you lust after, the frivolous wants, likes and desires that only satisfy the ego. You must deny yourself earthly relations and pursuits and seek Him for this Power to be at work in you. Forget what this world has to offer, and spend all of yourself on Him and His Calling. Then, and only then, can His Promises be yours.
Once you have truly encountered and embraced this power a transformation will take place. The Bible says you will become a new creature, It is then that you might ask yourself, “Can I really be the man or woman who went about under my name six months or six years ago? Was I really that person? Could that person have possibly been me?”
And the truth is that while in one sense you are indeed the same person, yet in another sense you will be someone utterly different.
I had been a practicing, sold-out, surrendered-to-Christ, Christian for about 15 years when I read the aforementioned excerpt. It so happens that I had become disappointed with my experience of church, and with Christians.
It seemed that the Christianity I had found was little more than a religious exercise of unrealized expectations.
Sure, the Christians I met acted differently than people who did not believe or follow Jesus. But just under the surface, their “old selves” were lurking. And too often, the “old selves” of these Christians could be lured out into the open with just a slip of the tongue or an inadvertent act.
And, I was tired of the high cost of this Westernized style of Christianity which gave a very low return. I was tired of the excuses offered when the behavior of the “Hope” talked about did not match the promised demonstration of faith. The miraculous I heard about had been evasive. In other words, what I was seeing within Christianity was not what I was reading in the Bible. Not even close!
Still, there was that quote, and that quote haunted me. It was as if someone or something continued to whisper it into my mind. It whispered the Christianity I longed for, the Christianity I so desperately needed. This haunting would not leave me.
I reasoned that I was a changed person. I had decided to stop certain behaviors and start others. But, I still struggled with hidden thoughts and desires. I still had few friends outside of family. I continued to struggle financially. I had no confidence or courage. My past was a constant reminder of my failures. My future was full of uncertainty. I clung to the promise of becoming a ‘new creature’ and the promise of heaven, but my grip was growing weak.
I was certain I had not experienced a real “deliverance”. It was still me doing the work.
It was not that I was “looking for more” in my walk with God or from the Church. I was looking for “THE WALK” found in the Bible. I reasoned that the problem was not God or the Bible nor was it other Christians or the Church. I reasoned that the problem was with me and my understanding. I struggled to imagine that I had misunderstood the truth of the Bible, the truth about Jesus, salvation and just about everything else concerning God. I knew I could not go on playing this façade. I had to find the truth or I would give it all up. Wretched man that I had become.
I thought, “If God cannot get out of heaven and be real to me, help me, and change me right now, what earthly good was this to me?” And, yes, I know what you must think of me by now. But, this is how quickly I was sinking in despair.
I needed help and the Church would not or could not throw me the life ring I needed.
So, with caution and trepidation, I read this little book my wife had found in a discarded pile of books at a local church.
I could not agree with everything written in this book. My religious training would not allow me to agree.
But as I read this excerpt and quote from a little book, and I found a staggering and life changing Truth:
The Bible is not just a book of “stories” about God, Jesus, Satan, some garden someplace named Eden, endless genealogies, the despair of sin, death and misery. Then there are the rules of “do and don’t”, hundreds upon hundreds of seemingly unrelated events, culminating with a hope of a future promise to escape God’s judgements and to live with Jesus, forever in heaven. Was I expected to know all of this and somehow conform my thinking and my life to the 1,189 chapters, 31,103 verses and 807,361 words in the Bible?
No. A thousand times no! The Bible is a love letter breathed out by God, addressed to and for every man, woman, boy and girl ever born. It is written in a language and a style that anyone can understand if taken at face value. This is why Jesus is called the Living Word of God. He is the Logos. He is the translation we need to know and understand. And, once you understand This Hidden Truth of the Bible and learn how to apply this Truth every day, NOTHING WOULD EVER BE THE SAME.
Finally, a simple and plain language that penetrated my mind, my will and emotions and seeped deep into my soul and spirit. And everything in my life changed in amazing and wonderful ways. If fact, upon reading and absorbing the truth presented to me, I realized that this Power had been working in and around me for years, and it was only at the right time that I became aware of His presence.
My life to that point, was a life of tragedy. As a child I lived in a violent and broken home. I was passed around to family members. Once an adult, I replicated these same failures. No children of my own. A broken marriage. Poverty, sickness and failure. Then, all of that change in what seems what was a “twinkling of the eye”.
I became healthier, body, soul, mind and spirit. Our marriage was restored. I became part of a family. We had children. I found amazing success in business. I had found my greatest joy and purpose in life from My walk with God. (Please understand that all problems did not just go away. I was still living in a broken world and as Psalm 34:17-19 says, “The righteous cry out and the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken hearted, and He saves those who are crushed in spirit. The afflictions of the righteous are numerous, but the Lord rescues us from them all”. You do not need to live chained to that rock of human suffering any longer!
I want to share this great discovery with you. I want to share it with everyone and anyone who is willing to hear. And for those who are hearing this for the first time, you are the fortunate ones. You have no religious clutter that must be removed before you can hear and accept what I am about to reveal. For those who have are already religious or have been in a Church for any time, you will have some extra work to do.
I will attempt to keep this simple and straight forward. So, to begin, (Please click on the link to Chapter 1, below).
I am not big on things like having prophetic visions, a Word from God and the like. The reason is that the Word of God is complete, so a Word from God must line up with the Word of God. And I am certain and I believe that the Bible teaches there are no ‘new revelations’;
The Bible warns, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished! Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”
Also, the Bible says “I (Jesus) testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”
So it is with great caution I share this:
Today I had a thought, or a “Word” if you will, and it goes like this, “
The Lord God is ready and will soon permit a great shaking of the United States – a shaking to her core. (This will be the beginning of the fulfillment ofDaniel 12, and specifically Daniel 12:10, which says,“Many will be purged, cleansed (or whitened), and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those, (the instructors) who have insight (the wise), will understand.”)
However, during this current time of what seems to be a relative peace – which is really no peace at all – we are to prepare ourselves, our families and our churches for what is coming.
We in the United States will soon suffer an economic collapse followed by a social upheaval and collapse, and governmental collapse, military defeats preceding a collapse of our military and a loss of our medical systems. There will be a spread of diseases, food shortages, famines, widespread poverty, death, and sudden earthquakes.
Many churches will likely fill up with people looking for protection, help, and spiritual advice but since most churches have become lukewarm or even apostate, they will not be able to offer any help, solace or direction. This will cause many churches to become targets of ridicule, persecution censure by a new emerging government and the public at large. These church leaders will encourage surrender and capitulation rather than resist by remaining faithful to Christ in order to escape persecution. Although many of those who remain faithful to Christ may suffer, those who endure to the end, will be saved.
Why am I saying these things and how and I justify saying these things? I am saying these things because I believe them; and I believe them because of what I read about and what I see going on in the world; I believe these things because of what history has shown us; I believe these things because what the most widely read ancient script, the Bible, forecasts, (i.e., prophecies), about what is coming, and I trust that source because of its past accuracies. And I am saying these things because I like to consider myself as a critical cognitive and linear thinker, and I believe and pray that I am correct when I say that God has given me discernment.
Here is my case, stated:
(1). Jesus warned in Matthew 24:4-31,that “In the Last Days, we will see a rise of false Christs and false prophets. (Although, this was an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35. See Matthew 24:4-5), do you not see these things increasing in our day with new religions, new belief systems, cults, greedy and narcissistic media preachers claiming to represent Jesus? These are events pointing to what Jesus referred to as the “Last Days”.
(2). Jesus also said, “In the Last Days, there will be famines and earthquakes”. (This has been a regular occurrence since as early as A.D. 35 or earlier. See Matthew 24:7 and the Fourth Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:5-8). Do you not see these things happening in our day? If you aren’t ‘denominationally biased’ could this reasonably be a clue to the timing of the “Last Days”?
(3). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there are wars and rumors of wars. (Wars and rumors of war have been occurring since as early as A.D. 35 or earlier. But we have never had the capacity to wage the most destructive global war we now see. (See Matthew 24:6 and the Second Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:3-4).
(5). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there will be a falling away from the faith.” (This has been an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35, and has been increasing to this very day. See Matthew 24:10).
These things, false Christs, wars and rumors of war, famines, earthquakes and plagues, persecutions, martyrs, which Jesus calls the ‘Birth Pangs’ of the tribulation (see Matthew 24:8), are nothing new; and from these cited verses, we can plainly see that the first 5 tribulation Seals are being manifested, and the effects had begun between the time of the birth of Jesus and A.D 95, and have been overlapping and increasing in their intensity since those early days.
It is also important to note that at this point in history, all of these things are now happening concurrently!
Can you not see the clues to the timing and the occurrence of the first 5 tribulation seals?
Acts 2:14-17, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last daysit shall be…’ (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Do you see this clue to the timing of the Last Days?
1 Peter 1:20, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “He, (Jesus), was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.”(Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Do you see this clue to the timing of the Last Days here?
1 Peter 4:7, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “The end of all things is at hand.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). A clue!
2 Peter 3:3. (the Apostle Peter), saying, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Is this true in our day, also?
If these verses say all these things began occurring in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60, and Peter called those days the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
What would you think, now?
1 Corinthians 10:11, (the Apostle Paul), says, “Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Hebrews 1:2, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Hebrews 9:26, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “But as it is, Jesus has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Could it be any clearer? The Last days began at the appearance of Jesus!
If these verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
What would you think?
2 Timothy 3:1, (Timothy), saying, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
If these verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
Would you now think the Last Days began? Want more?
1 John 2:18. (the Apostle John), saying, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Revelation 1:9, (The Apostle John), saying, “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 95 to A.D. 100).
According to the words and the testimonies of Jesus , His disciples and Apostles, the “LAST DAYS – THE LAST TIMES – THE END OF THE AGES – THE END OF ALL THINGS – THE BIRTH PAINS OF THE TRIBULATION” began with the Birth of Christ Jesus.
(The following in these parentheses is very detailed, technical and written language and context specific. But this is very important for a correct and complete understanding of these eschatological matters. It is probably best suited for the devoted follower of Jesus and the serious Bible student.
And, yes, I have been told by several ‘self- proclaimed bible experts’ that these things were only the times of persecution and not the tribulations of the Judgment Seals. Let me be Biblically clear: the use of the word ‘tribulation’ appears just 19 times in the English Standard Version of the Bible.
Sixteen of those instances are in the New Testament, and each instance, tribulation is translated from the Greek word ‘thlipsis’, whether referring to a time before or after the Sixth Tribulation Seal and the rapture.
Then in Matthew 13:21 we see, “yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation (thlipsis) or persecution (diogmos) arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” Each word is distinct in its meaning and in its context – tribulation versus persecution.
“For then(tote)there will be(eimi = future tense)great (megas) tribulation(thlipsis), such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”
And again, in Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus makes a distinction between the Birth Pains phase of the tribulation (Seals 1 through 5), and the Great Tribulation (Seals 6 and 7, and the Trumpet and Bowl Judgments) when He says,
“Immediately (eutheōs)after (meta) the tribulation(thlipsis)of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Finally, these same experts will say that Matthew 24:29-31 is neither the rapture nor is it the second coming of Jesus. But the scripture says,
“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory…and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.“
Finally, before the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Seal and the Great and Terrible Day of The Lord, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 instructs us, “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or amessage, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”
Jesus sternly warns, in Matthew chapters 24 and 25 of these coming events and that we are to prepare.
(And, I am not alone in these matters and with this view: Well-known and respected men and women like Pastor and teacher John Piper , missionary Corrie Ten Boom have come to this realization. And Zion’s Hope Ministries, offers sound Biblical evidence and excellent geo-political news, overlooked by the bias of religious denominationalism.)
At least 327 million Christians face persecution, according to 
The date is sometime around A.D. 29. Jesus is speaking to His disciples, instructing and warning them of things at hand, things they must concern themselves about.
they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 
