In The Beauty Of Holiness

It is not popular to go against the flow of society.  If you don’t cuss and swear; tell dirty jokes; find humor in sin; go out to the bars and night clubs; frequent other worldly amusements; then your coworkers probably don’t want to spend any social time with you.  It has always been that way for me.  We can’t fit into the Kingdom of God and also be fit into the world.  God has called us out of the world.  We are to live and worship in the beauty of holiness.  Just what does that mean?

Psalms 29:2 KJV Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

It may sound like a contradiction of instructions; “Go into all the world;” then “Come out of her my people.”

Mark 16:15 KJV  And he said unto them,  Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Revelation 18:4 KJV And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

John 17:15-17 KJV I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.  (16)  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  (17)  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Until Jesus Christ returns and establishes His Kingdom, we must live in this world; but we are not to be “of” the world or belonging to the world.  We are not to embrace the world’s standard.  We must be in this world and go throughout the world to take the Gospel message to every part of the world as a witness.  We are to share the love and hope of Jesus Christ; of His death, burial and resurrection; to help lead others to repentance, water baptism in Jesus’ name and the gift of the Holy Ghost.  God wants us to do His work; but to remain unspotted from the world.  Jesus prayed that we should not be taken out of the world, but that we should be kept from evil.  The beauty of holiness is an inner spirit that emanates from us through our attitudes, emotions, thoughts and actions.  It is a complete surrender of our will to God’s will by putting on the mind of Christ; which only happens by the infilling of the Holy Ghost.  The light of Jesus Christ should shine in and through us in a visible way for the world around us to see. 

Philippians 2:1-5 ES  So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,  (2)  complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  (3)  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  (4)  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

Philippians 2:5 KJV Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

We are Ambassadors for Jesus Christ; which means that we are representatives of the Kingdom of God and of the government of God.  An ambassador goes ahead of the president or monarch to enact policy for that leader and government in place of that leader and government.  We are to encourage the world to be reconciled to God and live God’s way.  We must first set the example of that way.

2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Some people think, that apostolic people are all about physical and outward things like dress, hair and attire; but those things only reflect an inner spirit that is at one with God’s Holy Spirit which is the Holy Ghost.  The desire and conviction comes from the Holy Ghost with great joy.  If someone finds themselves complying with a standard begrudgingly and against their will, then they have not embraced holiness.  Embracing holiness will only happen when Christ lives inside an individual and it radiates from the Holy Ghost.  The Church can not convict anyone; only the Holy Ghost, which is God in and through Christ Jesus. 

If My People

Significant events, small and great come in and out of our field of view.  They may seem disconnected; but they are all a prelude to the most significant event since Calvary; the close of this age that will bring the return of Jesus Christ and usher in the Kingdom of God and the 1,000 years of worldwide peace and prosperity   There have been signs of the times that we live in; signs that were prophesied by Jesus Christ.  Awareness of these events seemed to ignite with the Indonesian Tsunami of 2004 when over 230,000 people were killed when an oceanic earthquake caused a tsunami that triggered one of the worst disasters ever.  It was just less than 20 years earlier that an earthquake rocked Mexico City, killing around 9,500 people.  That seemed to be the most horrific and unimaginable disaster.  When the tsunami hit Indonesia, the numbers killed were and still remain incomprehensible.  Since 2004, there seems to have been a dramatic increase in natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados and flash floods.  Draughts and famines plague many places around the world.  The killer bees have not disappeared.  Mosquitoes are carrying new diseases and global warming threatens our very existence.  If we talk about wars and violence; the world has never been such a dangerous place.

Jesus Christ warned us to watch and to be ready for His return that would come on the heels of monumental catastrophic world conditions; those conditions are here now as never before:

 FALSE CHRISTS à WARS à FAMINE à 

PESTILENCE à EARTHQUAKES

When Jesus’ disciples came and asked Him what would be the signs of the end of the world; as recorded in Matthew 24:3, the word world was translated from the Greek word aion which means AGE; not the physical end of the planet or human life.

Matthew 24:3 KJV And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

False Christs

Jesus said that straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life; that He alone is the ONE TRUE WAY!  Turn on your television set and there are entire cable networks that broadcast preachers claiming to have the one true way, but they don’t follow the WORD of God, they don’t follow Jesus Christ!

Wars &Violence

Pick up any newspaper and it is filled with articles on wars, violence and corruption around the world.  Governmental leaders have lost the trust of the people.  Crime is on the rise along with civil unrest.  We live in a world of conflict.

Famine

A result of war and political mismanagement, famine and starvation is still a major problem.  Turn on your television set and you will see children who live in filth and squalor with unclean water to drink and a lack of nutritional life sustaining foods.

Pestilence

Pestilence follows natural disasters and war.  Just under a million Rwandans were killed in mass genocide in less than 100 days.  Had Hitler killed at that rate, he would have exterminated more than 30 million.  The pestilence that follows such mass numbers of deaths can be uncontrollable.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes and other natural disasters have always occurred; but their frequency and magnitude seem to have intensified.  Man has tested many nuclear devices with underground explosions.  Have these tests rocked the bedrock of our planet and compromised its inner structure?  There are many known fault lines that have given scientists clues as to the potential locations and magnitude of destruction of future quakes, but there is nothing that can be done to prevent them.

Jesus identified these signs as indicators of the end time.  They coincide with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the book of Revelation Chapter 6.

          WHITE HORSE OF FALSE PROPHETS

         

RED HORSE OF WAR

BLACK HORSE OF PESTILENCE

PALE HORSE OF FAMINE

These four horses represent the first four seals of a scroll that are opened to reveal the events that will precede and be a part of the Great Tribulation.

It is important to study what the Bible says about the End Time, because we are most likely living in that time.  Jesus Christ spoke a great deal about the End Time, the marriage supper that will take place and His second coming.  We need to know about these things.  It should give a greater urgency to our witnessing as well as motivation for us to live close to Jesus and the WORD of God.

On February 12^th, 2010, after a devastating earthquake in his country of Haiti; President Préval cancelled the Mardi Gras celebrations and called for three days of national prayer and fasting; urging his people to turn away from their Voodoo traditions and to turn to God in repentance; asking that God would heal their land.  More than a million people surrounded the presidential palace in prayer, fasting and repentance.  Over a hundred Voodoo Priests converted to Christianity.  This is recorded on a YouTube Video at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30rWm84z-zg

2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

All of the people of the earth are God’s Children and thus are God’s People.  America should be leading revival.  America should be humbling herself, praying and seeking God’s face.  America needs to turn away from her wicked ways of domestic violence, crime, murder, rape, pornography, promiscuity, homosexuality, greed, materialism and self centeredness.  America needs to repent as Haiti did.  A million people need to surround the White house and every State Capital and County Seat in days of prayer, fasting and repentance.  America is blanketed with dead churches that have a form of Godliness, but deny the power thereof.  WE NEED RIVIVAL!  IT BEGINS WITH YOU AND IT BEGINS WITH ME!

         

Judge Not, That You Be Not Judged

As a child, there was a man in our church who was so crippled with arthritis, that his body formed a question mark.  To a child, he was scary because he seemed to always have a scowl on his face from being in severe and unbearable pain.  He looked mean.  Those who took the time, to meet him; found out, that he was a very gentle man, with a great sense of humor and he loved talking to children.  His name was Sam McClintock.  He and his wife became good friends of our parents and our family.  We had them over for dinner more times that could be counted.  My parent’s ministry focused on the elderly, widows and disabled.

Children tend to have fears of the unknown that are usually outgrown with maturity; yet at the same time, children can be more accepting than adults.  Jesus told us not to judge.

Matthew 7:1 KJV Judge not, that ye be not judged.

The Disciples had occasion to ask Jesus who was at fault with a blind man.  Either conclusion was wrong because no one was at fault.  He was blind so that Jesus could heal him and let the glory of God be manifested in the miracle.

John 9:2-3 KJV And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  (3)  Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

There is a tendency to want to judge when there is a prolonged illness.  Why isn’t God healing the person; but Jesus revealed to us that God sends the rain on the just and the unjust.  No one can judge a person who battles a long illness.  Jesus didn’t judge them; He just healed them.

12 Year Issue of Blood

Luke 8:43 KJV And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

18 Year Arthritis Caused By a Demon

Luke 13:11 KJV And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

38 Year Infirmity

John 5:5 KJV And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

Since September of 2001; that is nearly ten years; diabetic complications, primarily foot ulcers have kept me disabled.  IV PICC (A peripherally inserted central catheter) lines and 6 to 12 week IV antibiotic treatments have been a part of every one of those years, except 2005.  The number of doctor visits to treat infections and ulcerated wounds is beyond counting.  There were many hospitalizations and four surgeries.   Some have judged my faith because 10 years is a long time and why has not God healed me of diabetes?  But God has healed me of every infection and has saved be three times from deaths door.  Looking back on these past 10 years; they were exceptional years for God’s ministry through me as well as years of spiritual growth. 

We are here for Jesus Christ, our LORD; the One True and Mighty God.  My life has been dedicated to Him since the age of twelve.  He poured out an anointing upon me at age 6.  The path of my entire life has been directed by God.  My health trials have glorified God and speak to the faith that the LORD has worked in me. 

We are called to love one another and not to judge.  Out of God’s love living in us and through us, there is unity and oneness.  Let us pray for one another in the Spirit of the LORD!

Marriage Supper of the Lamb…War and then Peace

There can be no greater blessing than to be call to be a part of the Bride of Christ and to be a partaker of the marriage supper of the LAMB.  God has been patient in waiting for man to grow and develop the character that Jesus Christ can grant eternal life to the first fruits of the resurrection; the saints of the most high God.  This is a once in eternity opportunity to prepare for and be included in this very special event. 

Since there was just the WORD which was God; the plan for a divine partner was launched.  That very well could have been a trillion years ago or more.  God deals in trillions of years on man’s scale of time measurement!  The closest star to planet earth is 4 light years away.  It would take a human, 4 trillion years to reach it.  The universe is a great and immeasurable spans; beyond man’s comprehension.  God spoke it all into existence for man.  The night sky is the only time that we can see the magnitude of God’s handiwork; it speaks to the power and greatness of God.  All of this vast space along with all of the celestial bodies; galaxies, solar systems with planets and stars; are held in God’s hands.  He made it all to share with man.  The Bride of Christ will be His full partner in eternity; working to beautify and complete the universe.

Revelation 19:9 KJV And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

The first order of business will be to restore the Kingdom of God on earth; to take the reigns of government away from man.  The nations of the world are not going to meet Jesus with open arms and an olive branch.  They will gather to make war with the LAMB and the Saints who have been made clean and white in fine linen.

Revelation 19:11-16 KJV And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  (12)  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  (13)  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  (14)  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  (15)  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  (16)  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

There will be a great war to end all wars as Jesus Christ returns as King of kings and restores order and peace to the earth.  The armies of the earth will be no match for Almighty God, Jesus Christ and His bride, the Saints.  An army of Immortal Spirit beings with the authority and power of God, will subdue the nations.

Revelation 19:19-21 KJV And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.  (20)  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  (21)  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Once the nations are beaten and surrender; when the threat of war will no longer exist; a thousand years of peace will follow.  It will be a time of restoration.  Air, water and land pollution will be arduously cleaned and eradicated; under the supervision of the Bride of Christ; that is the Saints of the Most High.  Like disobedient children who are taught to clean up their own messes in order to learn their lesson and grow in character; man will have to right every wrong and clean up the entire planet earth.  They will begin by destroying al weapons of war by turning them into implements of farming and productivity.

Isaiah 2:4 KJV And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Every aspect of life will be put under God’s rules through the Saints.  The entire earth will have to be re-educated in the ways of God and accept the one true WAY, Jesus Christ.  Every nation shall be restored to peace, even the animal kingdom will be at peace.

Isaiah 11:6-9 KJV The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.  (7)  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  (8)  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.  (9)  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

This is the future that lies just ahead.  This could be your future!  This excites me, hopefully it does you too.  God has a great plan and it goes beyond the initial 1,000 years of peace into all eternity.  God is calling His Saints now!  Don’t miss out on this great opportunity.  Repent and be baptized in Jesus’ name today and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Church as a Bride

As a woman and a mother, the Church is also a Bride.  In the brightness of His glory in eternity, God has always been.  Then there came a point when God wanted to share His existence with a partner.  God wanted someone to talk to; to create and build things with; some one to be His eternal family.  The greater the family, the greater the love shared.  Jesus Christ is coming back to His bride. 

Revelation 19:6-8 KJV And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  (7)  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.  (8)  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  TRUE OVERCOMERS

Those who overcome will sit with Him on His throne as His eternal partner and bride.  Physical marriage was patterned after God’s divine model of the marriage of the Lamb, who is Christ our LORD.

Revelation 3:21 KJV To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

In any kingdom, there has to be subjects or citizens.  There can be only one king and one queen; the King and His bride.  Many are called into the Kingdom, but only a few are chosen; a special calling to the marriage supper of the Lamb; that is chosen to be part of the bride.

Revelation 19:9 KJV And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Physical Marriage Prepares Us For Christ

Ephesians 5:23 KJV  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Ephesians 5:24 KJV Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Ephesians 5:25-27 KJV Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26)  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  (27)  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Colossians 1:16-18 KJV For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  (17)  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.  (18)  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

We are here for Jesus Christ and we will be rewarded in His eternal Kingdom by what we do here on earth now in this short fleshly existence.

Revelation 22:12 KJV And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

The firstborn of the Kingdom is the church, the over comers who are the saints who will become the Bride of Christ.  Dr. Gerald Jeffers describes the Bride of Christ as being one body made up of millions of cells, just as our human bodies are made up of many cells.  Each of the saints, the true Christians who have overcome sin and the world in this life; each of them (us) will be just one cell in the body that is the Bride.  As a man and a woman become one flesh in marriage; Jesus Christ and His Bride will become one Spirit; at one with God Himself

. 

If you are called now to be an over comer; chosen to be a part of the Bride of Christ; don’t neglect so great a salvation and future.  If God has put it upon your heart to become like Him, to put on the mind of Christ, to become one with Christ; then take your calling seriously!  There is no greater purpose.  Invite Jesus Christ into your life; become the temple of God’s Holy Spirit; receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and continue to live in the Holy Ghost!

The Church as a Mother

The Church as a Mother

The Church as a woman is also a mother.  Once again, the role of mother is not inferior to that of father; but was established by God for order and function.  We also need to realize that physical differences created for procreation, have no function in the Eternal Kingdom of God.  We will all be the same; children of the living God.  Now we have physical differences for the procreation of human life.  The role of mother is one of teaching and nurturing.  These functions are very much a part of who God is.  Jesus Christ was the ultimate teacher and He instructed Peter to feed His lambs; which meant to nurture and teach.  Jesus Christ expressed His desire to gather his people as a mother hen does under her wings.

Luke 13:34 KJV O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

As a mother who feeds, nurtures, disciplines and protects her children, the Church is in the same role to discipline and resolve conflicts.  The Church protects the people from divisions and false doctrines.

Matthew 18:17 KJV And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Romans 16:17 KJV  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Acts 20:28 KJV  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The Church as a mother establishes the order that God has set in the Church.

1 Corinthians 12:28 KJV And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Our Heavenly Father has established the Church as a woman and put her in a mothering role to the called out ones.  This is so we can grow and mature until we come into the fullness of the Kingdom of God.  Our ultimate goal is to become the Bride of Christ; His full partner in eternity.

The Church as a Woman

Yesterday, we looked at; “Why the Church?”  Today we are going to discuss “The Church as a Woman.”  We must remember; that God is a spirit being and He doesn’t have any particular form.  In the beginning, when it was just God, He was the all powerful, all knowing and all present WORD.  He was a voice.  Form and shape came with the material creation of the universe and all fleshly life.  Man and woman were created to share God’s image which is both masculine and feminine.  Masculine and feminine images are defined first and foremost in the mind and brain.  There are two distinct mindsets in human life.  Men are governed by the left side of the brain (logic) and Women are governed by the right side of the brain (emotion).  Men have traditionally filled the hunter/provider roles and Women have traditionally filled the nurturing/comforting roles.  Together, they make the whole image of God.  A man and a woman were to bind together as one and become one flesh.

Genesis 2:20-24 KJV And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.  (21)  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;  (22)  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.  (23)  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.  (24)  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Just as the man and the woman were to bind together and become one flesh, the Church is the body of Christ who is God.  Man and woman reflect God and the Church.

Colossians 1:24 KJV Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

God has taken on a dominant and masculine image.  The Church He formed in a submissive and feminine image.  This is for the sake of order.  God does everything in order. 

1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

In a marriage, the man is the head of the woman; this is for order and not for superiority and inferiority.  Both are in God’s image and both are heirs to the promises; heirs in the Kingdom of God. 

1 Peter 3:7 KJV Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Likewise, in the relationship of the Church and God, the Church was not made inferior, but created in enduring perfection that would never die!  The gates of hell will never prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18 KJV And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

A woman’s role is magnified by God through the Church; which is also referred to as a woman.  If we can understand the roles of man and woman; then we can understand the relationship that God has planned for us for all eternity with Him.

Why The Church

The Church in Decline

Church attendance and involvement continues to decline in America.  Once a mandate of family tradition; the church has lost it draw with those 60 years of age and under.  With each younger generation, there seems to be a weaker tie to the church.  Liberalism has not drawn more people; in fact, it has had an opposite effect.  Expect less and you will get less and it become a cycle with a downward spiral.  In the 1990s, people started dropping out of churches that “watered down doctrine,” because the church should be different from the world and should make a difference.  “Why go to church if it is just like the world?” was the question asked by many.  As main stream Protestant Christianity battled over homosexuality acceptance among the clergy; membership was in decline.  The churches; that were in a growth curve, were those that upheld the Bible’s doctrine of morality and family values.

In a Quest For Answers

Today in 2011, religion is still big business.  People still are in quest for the meaning of life.  As the world becomes a more dangerous place; not just in violence, crime and war; but in natural disasters, famine and disease, the all too clear signs of the “End Times;” seem to be ever increasingly coming to pass.  There is unrest every time mass numbers of people are killed by earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, etc.  People don’t know where to turn for answers.  The majority of Christendom is not talking about the End Time.  Too many false prophets have set dates that pass and this doctrine of the Bible becomes more and more a myth to many people and breaks down credibility of those who are seeking to prepare for the Kingdom of God and the return of Jesus Christ.

The Church: Called Out Ones

The word church in the New Testament comes from the Greek word, ekklēsia; which means:  a calling out or called out ones.  Jesus chose those to be His Church by calling them out of the world to be separate.  The Church is a sanctified body of believers, a spiritual organism built by Jesus Christ and inhabited by the Holy Ghost, God’s presence and power; not a man made organization.  Being separate from the world brings on persecution from the world; just as people who get drunk at a party hate the one sober person who does not get high.  Worldliness repels the righteousness of God.

John 15:19 KJV If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 KJV And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  (17)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  (18)  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The Church:  Woman, Mother and Bride

A traditional hymn by Samuel Wesley, The Church’s One Foundation, was sung by most Christians until the 1960s.  The song identifies the Church as a woman, a mother and a bride.  Feminists, homosexuals and lesbians took issue with the Church being personified in a traditional woman, mother and bride role and the words of the hymn were altered to be politically correct.  Below are the original words.

The Church’s one foundation

Is Jesus Christ her Lord,

She is His new creation

By water and the Word.

From heaven He came and sought her

To be His holy bride;

With His own blood He bought her

And for her life He died.

The Church is referred to as being a woman in the book of Revelation.  The role of a woman was created by God to be a nurturing mother.  In this passage, a prophecy that could apply to the birth of Christ, still needs to be fulfilled in the End Time.  Many prophecies are fulfilled twice; i.e. John the Baptist was a type of Elijah proclaiming Christ’s first coming and there will be an Elijah sent to warn before Christ’s second coming.  The devil will have but a short time before Christ returns.  The Church will be persecuted at that time; but God will intervene and rescue the Church on the wings of Eagles (Symbolic of a divine intervention and taking away of the Church) and take her to a place of safety; a place of final training and preparation for 3 ½ years.  She will be nourished. 

Revelation 12:12-17 KJV Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.  (13)  And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.  (14)  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.  (15)  And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  (16)  And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.  (17)  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

From the Garden of Eden, woman was created for man and we human beings were created for Jesus Christ.  Just as we seek a spouse from among many people, Jesus Christ is choosing His spouse, a bride from among many.

Matthew 22:14 KJV For many are called, but few are chosen.

It has been my personal belief that Jesus is choosing His bride from among the called out ones, from the church.  That bride will sit with Him on His throne.  The many called will be the subjects of the King of kings in His kingdom, but the chosen will be His bride.  More discussion about this bride will be in tomorrow’s post.

Speak Your Solutions

God is Omnipotent, Omniscient & Omnipresent; that means all powerful, all knowing and all present.  Nothing exists outside of God’s power, knowledge and presence.  Everything belongs to God because He is the creator of all.  We know that there was a time when nothing existed except the WORD which was God; an all powerful, all knowing and ever present voice.  That voice spoke all things into existence and nothing that was made, was made without him.  He became flesh and we know him as Jesus Christ our LORD.

John 1:1, 3 ESV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  3) All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

God, the WORD, Jesus Christ, the Father; created man in His own image and in his own likeness.  This was not referring to a bodily form, because God is a spirit; but rather, we share God’s ability to reason, create and speak into existence.  Just as all has been created on the breath of God’s mouth, God has given us the power to speak things into existence; if we have the Holy Ghost; if we have first repented, been baptized in Jesus’ name and been baptized in the spirit.

Genesis 1:26-27 KJV And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  (27)  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Psalms 33:6 KJV By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

There is power in our voice if the Holy Ghost resides in us, that is the power and presence of God.  We are the temple of the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 

God has given us access to His power and knowledge, through His presence in our lives.  We must believe that we will receive the things that we need and ask for.  We need to speak out loud all of our needs; not in a wistful, maybe God will do it; but in a strong and assertive voice of faith.  “Speak those things that are not as if they are!” so preaches Charles Capps who has proven this to be true.  Every day you must get up and praise the LORD with thanksgiving for fulfilling all of your needs and petitions of prayer.  Ask once and then thank God daily for performing it.  We need to hear our own voice speak those things into existence.  After all, faith comes by hearing.  When we hear our own voice speak the blessings of God into our lives, our faith grows.  We need to profess and confess our faith in God.

At the end of 2009, death was at my door with a diabetic foot infection that left me so weak that I could not even hold a small paperback book to read it.  A friend had given me a paperback book, Faith and Confession, by Charles Capps.  The doctors gave up on me when I would not allow them to amputate my leg and they sent me home to die.  That same friend that gave me the Capps book then gave me an audio disc on the same material.  Speaking affirmations of healing; confessing my belief that I was already healed jump started my faith in a new way.  Within one month, I was completely healed and walking on my foot.

Jesus came that we might have life and to have it more abundantly.  Because He died and rose again ascending to heaven, we have the gift of the Holy Ghost that gives us the power to speak things into existence, if we believe.  Never give up, keep going forward in faith affirming the blessings that are not as if they are.

A Message Sent Forth

Many Christians in their zeal forget that they are messengers of the Gospel, to proclaim the Good News that Jesus saves; that His death, burial and resurrection paves the way to salvation.  As Christians, we can do everything in our own power to convert an individual; yet if they are not being called by God, they can’t comprehend truth.  Most all of us have been through this; trying to convert a friend; believing that we could convince someone to accept Jesus Christ.  There is only one way to eternal life with God and that is through Jesus Christ.  He is the WAY!  We could not have come to Christ except that we were called or drawn.

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 14:6 ESV Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

There is only one God; but He is known by His many titles, roles and functions; just as we humans, made in His image, are known by many titles, roles and function.  We all are the child of someone (son/daughter); but only we can chose to be a parent (father/mother).  We can all choose to be a comforting friend that sticks closer than a brother or sister.  Many have siblings and are a sibling.

Proverbs 18:24 ESV A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

God became flesh and dwelled among the people of the earth.  In the flesh, He paid the penalty for our sin, in fact for all sin.  God walked the earth as a man named Jesus of Nazareth.  We must accept the work that God did in the flesh as a human; accept His sacrifice of His blood (life) and His body (suffering/stripes).  We can’t see or accept God as Jesus, unless we are drawn by God in His role as our Father.

God leads us to Himself and eternal life through His flesh as Jesus; by His death, burial and resurrection.  We enter into a parent/child relationship with God as our Father.  He transforms us through the Holy Ghost, His presence and power that lives within us.  God in His role as Father sends us the Holy Ghost and we become a true son/daughter/child of God.  We become like the Son, Jesus Christ.

John 14:26 KJV  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Our focus as disciples needs to be on the work of the church; that is to proclaim, not call; nurture and not save.  Only God in His role as Father can call and only God in His role as Jesus Christ saves.  When the call is accepted and a person surrenders to Christ and accepts salvation; then the Holy Ghost, God’s presence and power lives in the new convert.  We must proclaim the Gospel with ever increasing zeal and make each convert, someone we nurture!  When people see our loving approach to them; to share our hope in Christ and then experience God’s love through us as we nurture them; the church will grow.