Year: 2016

Thoughts On Christmas.

/ grace country pastor / Leave a comment

I received a lovely letter from a dear sister in Christ the other day.  She is very recently saved and introduced to the Bible rightly divided.  With the Christmas season upon the world she asked me some interesting questions beginning with why I was not keen on celebrating Christmas with the rest of the world.  I sent her an audio teaching by David Reid which I recommend listening to.  Another by Justin Johnson is excellent as well.  This post is a reflection of my replies to her own thoughts and inquiries, reformatted to fit a blog post.

Sister writes:  “I am unconvinced that celebrating Christ’s birth, just because it is not called for in the Bible, is without merit.”

Nowhere in the Pauline epistles is the birth of Christ presented as a cause for celebration.  On the contrary, it is His death, burial and resurrection which Paul (the Apostle Christ sent to believers today) glories in.

Gal 6:14…  “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

If however, by celebrating His “physical birth” (quotes explained further on down) you are intentionally honoring the Lord in truth, go for it.  Every day is a good day to honor our Creator and there is certainly nothing wrong with doing so on Dec 25.  There is no more or less reason given the date on the calendar.  Every day is a day of grace.  As Paul says, each one of us saints does that which our current level of understanding allows.

Romans 14:5-8…  “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.“

And the saved have ultimate liberty in Christ.

Gal 5:1…  “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yolk of bondage.”

1 Cor 10:23…  “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.”

Of course, we ought not use our liberty as an occasion for the flesh which most Christmas celebrations are.

Gal 5:13…  “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

By all means celebrate our Lord however you feel moved to celebrate Him, KNOWING that He took human flesh upon Himself to die for our sin in our place, was buried, and was raised again in glorified eternal flesh for our justification.  For me however, I ask myself a simple but extremely important question: does the celebration of Christmas, as the world celebrates it, serve to bring people closer to the very simple and specific saving knowledge of Christ, or does it lead people farther away from the ultimate truth the world so desperately needs to hear?

What I now (at this point in my own walk) see Christmas to be, is a deliberate attempt by the world (and its god – santa) to lead people away from that simple saving knowledge: Christ died for my sin and was raised for my justification.  Who is santa anyway?  What does he say to people?  “Be good and you’ll get what you wish (pray) for.”  And… “he’s been watching you all year and knows things about you only a “god” would know”.  Perhaps I’m being overly cynical, but that is one of the most prevalent false gospels taught in the vast majority of religious institutions today, no matter the denomination.  Keep the always arbitrary, denominationally dependent law (dogma) and I’ll bless you.  Fail and, well… not so much.

When my kids were small I told them santa was real (little did I know I was right…) and remember joyfully going to the web site “norad santa” to track his progress around the world eagerly awaiting his arrival at our home.  At some time in the future they learned I was lying.  Such is not lost on a young mind.  As they grew older I told them Jesus was real and expected them to believe me.  They did not at first and I no longer wonder why.  Thank God both my kids are saved now and have solid Biblical understanding; their eternal future is secure come what may, but the false “santa clause” I originally provided didn’t help the situation.

Sister writes:  “There are many important behaviors we do as Christians that are not promulgated in the Bible but are practiced because we want to honor the ones we love and proclaim how special they are: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, etc.”

Having just celebrated my sons college graduation, I hear you loud and clear.  We ought to celebrate and honor those we love.  That’s a big part of day to day living, building one another up, celebrating positive worldly accomplishments and having some much needed fun.  (Interestingly enough, a persons birthday is the highest holiday (holy-day) in the satanic bible written by Anton LaVey.)  All these special occasions, generally speaking, have nothing to do with Christ however, unless one includes Him intentionally, which we should.  The world honors people all the time and Christ is nowhere to be found.  The world doesn’t need Christ to say happy birthday… and the world (to my eyes) does not need (nor want) Christ to say merry Christmas.  The world wants presents.  It wants to beat people up on black Friday (a cheery thought in and of itself) to get the best deal on the latest psychologically manufactured commercial craze.  The material aired on television is not called programming for nothing.  If you think such programming does not manipulate you, read Edward Bernays.

Sister writes:  “Why should we exclude the birth of the most important person ever born, just because the date is wrong or some culture group in the past ascribed a different meaning to some of those practices?”

Neither is the main reason I choose not to celebrate Christmas; the fact that it promotes a false gospel is, though both the above examples do have bearing on the issue.  Paganism IS false religion.  Christ”mass” IS a catholic construct.  Catholicism IS pagan religion with elements of Christ added in to attract those people pure paganism could not.  Protestantism IS Catholicism without a pope; catholic-lite.  To answer directly, perhaps it is because I have come to think of Christ as FAR more than the most important “person” ever born.  Jesus Christ IS our Creator God (Col 1:13-17), humbly taking our form (John 1:14), knowing full well that His “best friends” the nation Israel would torture and kill Him; knowing full well that His death, burial and resurrection precipitated the ultimate forgiveness for this ultimate crime and the complete and utter atonement of the totality of mankind’s sin itself, if one would but accept His gift… His physical death for us.

Philippians 2:5-8…  “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Allow me to also mention the fact that Christ existed before the foundations of the world were created by Him.  Jesus does not “become” God in Luke 2 or anytime thereafter.  He is God throughout eternity and the only thing “born” on whatever day He was manifested in the world was the vessel He created which allowed mankind to physically behold his Creator.  Think about that…  Thus Christ was not “born on Christmas day”.  Christ is God and God is eternal.  God manifested Himself (was “born” in human flesh) to a chosen few (Israel) through a fatherless (non-Adamic, thus pure) virgin birth as He promised and Israel’s prophet Isaiah wrote some 700 years prior to that physical manifestation.

Isaiah 9:6…  “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

(Son… Father… same verse.  Same Creator God.)

Colossians 2:9…  “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”

Let’s take Christ’s birth to Israel in the flesh one further step and examine from another angle.  This next verse is very tricky if one fails to rightly divide the scriptures.

2 Cor 5:16…  “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.”

Paul is saying that we no longer know Christ after the flesh, yet this is what Christmas celebrates.  Christ come in the flesh… baby Jesus (Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel).  What is Paul talking about?  The answer can be found in Romans chapter 15 where the earthly (in the flesh) prophetic ministry of Christ is contrasted with His heavenly “mystery” ministry as given through Paul.  Compare verse 8 with verse 16.

Romans 15:8…  “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:”

Emmanuel (God with us) was/will again be, a minister to Israel to confirm that which was always promised them, NOT US.  A Messiah.  The heathen were never ever promised a Messiah.  That’s why they (we) were heathen.

Romans 15:16…  “That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.”

Paul is the minister to us Gentiles.  Emmanuel was not.

Matthew 15:24…  “But he answered and said, I am not sent BUT unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Amazing what the Bible says when we actually believe it!

Imagine if all the time, energy and money spent surrounding the fables of Christmas was instead focused on communicating the truth of the gospel!!!

Acts 13:39…  “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

Rom 3:21…   “BUT NOW the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;”

Sorry santa… I don’t have to “be good” to receive Gods free gift (Rom 5:14-19)!  I’m already no good and the God of the Bible still offers me grace and salvation.

Rom 3:23…  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Yet God altered our reality for us by the death of Christ our kinsman redeemer…

Romans 3:26…  “To declare, I say, at this time HIS righteousness: that He might be just, AND the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

Such is the amazing grace of God toward His creation.  I ought to “be good” because I’ve already received such a gift.

His “Christmas” coming to the nation Israel – John 1:11 and earthly ministry (to the nation Israel and those Gentiles who would bless them – Mat 15:24) just kind of fades into the background… not into insignificance by any means, as all scripture is profitable; but into something which, at least to me, just does not compare to the mystery information given to Paul toward an unrepentant evil world (Eph 3); hidden by the worlds false “conditional” religious (Christmas) system of reward and punishment.

While the world constantly praises itself on how good it believes itself to be, especially at this time of year, it misses completely the very fact that in Gods eyes, it is no good at all no matter how hard it tries (see Rom 3:23 above).  That, to me, is kind of depressing to be perfectly honest.  All the love, all the smiles, all the prayers… and they totally miss the “Pauline reason for EVERY season”.  People who believe that they are “good”… they are the ones who will populate hell.  What do they need Christ for?  What do they require salvation from?  They are already “good enough” to “hopefully” go to heaven.  How very sad they don’t understand what He already did…  Willful ignorance reigns.

Where in the worlds celebration of Christmas is 1 Cor 15:1-4…?  It is not lying in the manger wrapped in swaddling clothes offering peace and unity to the world at large.  When that little baby grew up He said…

Mat 10:34…  “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.”

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night…!  How’s that for a Christmas card?

Understanding the Bible is key to understanding the world at large.  Without the Bible rightly divided there can only be “mass” confusion.

Peace on earth will come only when Christ takes physical possession of it during the millennial reign.  Luke 2 (the Peanuts Christmas story) is a reference to exactly that; had Israel believed the Messiah had come, prophesy would have been fulfilled and Israel would have been restored as the worlds Righteous and Just capital (extremely violently I might add).  Clearly that did not happen which is why Christ must yet divide and conquer via judgement and wrath in the future before He and He alone brings peace to our corrupted world.

While current and very real spiritual peace with God is what all saved people now enjoy, we only enjoy it because of the mystery Christ hid from santa, er, satan and revealed to Paul; Gods longsuffering with a fallen and sinful world (Eph 3 again).  Every day IS a day the world deserves Gods wrath but does not get it because of “the mystery” Christ revealed to Paul alone.  The world hangs by that single thread which I personally believe must be wearing thin.

God/Christ was in a conditional if/then relationship with the nation Israel, but this relationship ended 2,000 years ago.  This is what we see however in the worlds current (false gospel) Christmas message… “be good because santa (god) is watching and you won’t get your wishes (prayers) answered.”  Paul instructs us…

Col 3:1-3…  “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”

We (saved) are no longer who we once were.  Things of the earth (religious celebrations) have become far less meaningful, evil even as they lead away from truth.  We are ambassadors of the Most High God who have been given a remarkably serious message to communicate to a world that does not want to hear it (hates it even).  The world wants Christmas (Santa, Frosty, Rudolph, decorations, feel good sermons, presents, etc.) not Christ.  And if Christ at all, a meek and mild baby Jesus singing songs of peace and joy; not a Just Creator who will eventually give the world exactly what it deserves.  The world deserves judgement and war in stark contrast to the free grace and peace offered it today that the world spits on.  If the worldly bogus “Christmas message” keeps people focused away from the gospel of grace and back upon itself and its own sense of “inherent goodness”, then as a Bible believer I must reject it.  Such is a false gospel and an outright lie which will not go unnoticed by Him who sets all things in motion.

Gal 1:8-9…  “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Those are very serious words.  Luke 2 is NOT the gospel men should be preaching today.  Our function is to communicate…

2 Cor 5:19-21…  “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  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.  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

In time past we saved, as many unsaved still do, invented our own version of what we wanted God to be.  We worshiped the “god of our imaginations” if you will.  Ever hear someone say… “well, my god would never do such a thing”?  I hear that constantly and my constant reply is that your god is not the God of the Bible.  To most of those who profess to “know” Christ, that god is really santa (anagram for satan, the god of this world) to whom they send a list of wishes (prayers).  “god” to the vast majority of religious people (when honestly considered) is santa and santa is not God.

2 Cor 4:3-4…  “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.“

A false god gives people what they want (worldly “blessings”), not what they need (spiritual blessings, knowledge).

Eph 1:3…  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

Today and every day the world has the opportunity to accept the greatest gift ever offered it, and what does it do?  Mostly, it goes shopping or turns on the TV.  Only a few even notice what God wrote to mankind.

2 Cor 9:15…  “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”  Total forgiveness by way of His Son… joint heirs (Rom 8:17) along with the same Son.  The mind reels!  If the world only knew…  (how different would it be?)

Sister writes:  “When Christ is the center of my Christmas celebration,  It really doesn’t matter to me  if ancient druids or martians had lit trees or had coca cola Santa’s. Discernment is the difference. Peace be with you Ted!”

And there is the critical difference between you (Sister) and the world.  You understand what God in Christ did for you, as do I.  It is what I try to celebrate every day (not saying I necessarily succeed either… Lord knows I have more than my own share of struggles).  Celebrate your salvation in Christ as you see fit, IN TRUTH; on Dec. 25, March 3, July 8, Oct 31 and every day, and peace be with you too Sister!  Today is a day of free grace, just like any and every other day that the Lord hath made.  I still wonder, why join the world in a lie it actively promulgates; a lie which leads to the destruction of souls (works based religion), when you know the truth?

Let us attempt to rejoice and be glad in each and every day!  Let us today and every day do something for the sake of Him and His body, the church.  What is special about each day is Gods longsuffering grace with us; the fact that He has not said ENOUGH!  While I personally (selfishly) hope and pray that He calls His ambassadors home ASAP, I am thankful that each day He does not, is a day that someone else can be saved.

Rom 5:1…  “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

Philippians 4:4…  “Rejoice in the Lord ALWAY: and again I say, Rejoice.”

We (saved) are at peace with Him!  He died and rose again FOR US!  I “should” be good but my peace and security with Him is no longer linked to a conditional “santanic” system of “work and reward”.  Now if that’s Merry Christ (no “mass” for me, please and thank you)… I’m all for it    🙂

Go out and find someone to share that gift with today and every day!

Next Post:  “Are Believers Today New Testament Christians?“

Christian Zionism, a response to James Perloff

/ grace country pastor / 1 Comment

James Perloff is one of my favorite authors and speakers.  I have a great deal of respect for the man.  Understanding the personal history he shares with his readers, he and I share some remarkable commonalities in life.  I’d cherish the opportunity to meet him someday but I don’t get out much.  His book “Tornado In a Junkyard” I recommend to, and purchase for, many people, along with “Truth Is A Lonely Warrior” right in its wake.  Next to the King James Bible itself, I believe that “Tornado” is one of the most important books believers and especially unbelievers alike ought to read.  It demonstrates clealy, in an easy to read package, the total lie which is Darwinian evolution.  How’s that for a recommendation…?

Mr. Perloff recently wrote an article (linked) entitled “The War on Christianity, Part II: The Abomination and Blasphemy of Christian Zionism” which I read carefully and once again found myself in near complete agreement with the conclusions established therein.  I recommend subscribing to James blog posts and I recommend reading that article before continuing on here (it too is long but well worth your time).  I do however find a tragic error of assumption contained in this particular writing.  James assumes he understands correct dispensational theology when in fact he understands false dispensational theology.  In this sense, herein is my reply which hopefully he will examine as thoughtfully as I examine his writings (and not require too many aspirin afterward).

A conundrum James.  I am a dispensationalist, yet I agree with your conclusions regarding the current nation state of Israel.  By your article, such is impossible.  Dispensationalists, according to you, are by nature deceived into supporting the nation state of Israel.  They are, as you state, Christian Zionists.  I do not support the Israel of today, I am not a Christian Zionist.  How is this possible?  This entity (Israel) was created by man for the exact reasons you put forth in your article.  It is a satanic enterprise leading to one world government.

I will not attempt to explain the whole of dispensational theology in this one post as that is the basis of what this entire site teaches; what I will say is that Darby and Scofield are very much mistaken in their views of dispensationalism.  Dispensational theology takes three starting positions, all from the book of Acts.  They are; Acts 2, Mid Acts and Acts 28 (or hyper-dispensationalism).  The Biblially and doctrinally correct position is Mid Acts which is NOT the position of Darby or Scofield.  Darby and Scofield ARE liars and deceivers as they hold to the blatantly incorrect and scripturally illogical Acts 2 position.

My intent here James, is to prove your conclusion entirely correct (as we are in agreement) NOT by blaming some nebulous, unspecific and incorrect definition of dispensationalism, but by actually rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2 Tim 2:15) between the mystery (that which was kept secret since the world began – Rom 16:25-27) and prophesy (that which was spoken since the world began – Acts 3:21).  What you understand correctly is exactly “what” Israel is up to.  What you can’t know, what you fail to understand thoroughly, because you have been told lies regarding dispensational theology, is “why” Israel is doing what she is doing.  It is not just because they are “unrepentant sinners”.  God had a plan for the nation.  And still does!  Allow me to elaborate.

I’ll try to provide the scriptural explanation for the “Jewish problem” from the Mid Acts dispensationalist position (as I said, without getting into the basics of dispensationalism itself, start at “What Mystery?” for that). Please pardon the length of this post but all scripture is needed to construct the argument.

Talmudic Jews, those who run Israel today are inherently satanic by nature. The Talmud is, very simply, (Jewish) mans perversion of the Torah and other OT prophetic writings. Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, in His earthly ministry came specifically to Israel to teach them their true nature and purpose, which was to be the channel of blessing from God to the whole Gentile world. This is the reason God set up His own nation in the first place, beginning with Abraham; to reach the rest of the world with the knowledge of Himself (see Why Israel?).

Gen 12:1-3… “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and THOU SHALT BE A BLESSING: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: AND IN THEE SHALL ALL FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED.”

Deut 7:6… “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be A SPECIAL PEOPLE unto himself, ABOVE ALL PEOPLE that are upon the face of the earth.“

Exodus 19:5-6… “Now therefore, IF ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, THEN ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me ABOVE ALL PEOPLE: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.“

Note carefully the covenantal IF / THEN nature of this agreement entered into between God and His nation Israel.  Israel failed to keep their end of the bargain.

The book of Acts demonstrates the fall of the nation Israel.  It opens with the twelve asking Jesus a question, as throughout the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the promised (prophesied) Kingdom is “at hand”.

Acts 1:6… “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?“

To which Jesus replies:

Acts 1:7… “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.“

The book ends with Paul providing the answer; reminding the Jewish leaders of the timeline when they rejected God the Father (books of Exodus – Malachi), Jesus the Son (books of Matthew – John) and the Holy Spirit as physically manifested in the Apostles (book of Acts):

Acts 28:28… “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.“

Israel is at this point cut off from God.  God no longer recognizes them as His own.  The Kingdom didn’t come.  This world is still evil.  This is a temporary situation as God has unfulfilled promises to keep with them and God is no liar.  We call this “Time Past”.

Christ came to this world with “two purposes“, one prophesied since the world began, having to do with redeeming the earth (Acts 3:21) and one kept secret since the world began, having to do with redeeming heaven; in order to once and for all defeat satan utterly (Rom 16:25).  Both the earth (human realm) and the heaven (angelic realm) are fallen, both require redemption back to God via Christ.  His earthly ministry (specifically) to the nation Israel was prophesied since the world began. This is the purpose which concerns this post; Israel and the earth.  Christ Himself claims:

Mat 15:24… “But He answered and said, I am not sent BUT to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Christ did not manifest Himself physically in the world for the Gentile nations. (That was Christ’s unprophesied, “secret heavenly” function via the Apostle Paul – compare Rom 15:8 with Rom 15:16.)

John 1:11… “He came unto His own (Israel), and His own (Israel) received Him not.”

Currently, the Israel which now exists, counterfeit Israel, is a curse to all nations; they are as unGodly as any nation on earth but this is a temporary condition.

Zechariah 8:13… “And it shall come to pass, that as ye WERE a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; SO WILL I save you, and ye SHALL BE a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.”

They have blasphemed the name of the Creator God who formed them throughout the world and God will not allow His name to be blasphemed.

Ezekiel 36:19-23… “And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to THEIR way and according to THEIR doings I judged them.  And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land.  (What horrible representatives of the Living God!  How well do we represent Him?)  But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.  Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.  AND I WILL SANCTIFY MY GREAT NAME, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; AND THE HEATHEN SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”

Notice carefully that God scattered them according to THEIR OWN ways.  Specifically, it is the nation Israel who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of THEIR OWN messiah, the anti-christ and will introduce him onto the world stage as “savior-god”. Speaking to the religious leaders of the country over 2,000 years ago Christ Himself said of them:

John 8:44… “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Absolutely nothing has changed. God did however promise them control over the world; to raise them above all people, IN ORDER TO BE A BLESSING TO IT.  In order that the heathen (you and me) would know the True and Living Creator God!  In the ages to come they will rule the world in Godly wisdom from the “world capitol” Jerusalem.

Zechariah 8:22-23… “Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”

Mat 19:27-28… “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

The twelve tribes will then judge the Gentile nations with Christ on His rightful earthly throne.

Rev 21:10-12… “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:”

Rev 19:15-16… “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. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.”

The critical difference in understanding WHY Israel is the way it currently is, lies in the difference between the old and new covenants made specifically with the nation Israel. Covenants are NOT made with Christians today. Christians today who believe they are under covenant agreements with God are in effect messianic Jews.  They have the right idea but in the wrong dispensation.  God NEVER made a covenant with any nation or people BUT those of Israel. Gods grace today, as opposed to the former if/then covenant relationship with Israel, is 100% freely offered to all people.

Romans 5:13-19… “(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.  But not as the offence, so also is the FREE GIFT. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the GIFT BY GRACE, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.  And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the GIFT: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the FREE GIFT is of many offences unto justification.  For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

THEREFORE as by the offence of one judgment came upon ALL men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the FREE GIFT came upon ALL men unto justification of life.  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.“

The old covenant, the Law, God gave BECAUSE of Israel’s worldly blasphemous transgressions.

Gal 3:19… “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added BECAUSE of transgressions (Israel’s near complete unbelief as God miraculously brought them out of Egyptian captivity), till the seed should come to whom the promise was made (promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from whom came the twelve tribes); and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator (that mediator was Moses).”

They “covenanted” with God to keep the Law by their own efforts…

Deut 6:24-25… ” And the Lord commanded us to do ALL these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And IT SHALL BE our righteousness, IF we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.”

…but could not. No human can. It was meant to be that way. The perfect Law was established to prove to man that he was a hopeless sinner.  Israel never understood that the purpose of the Law was to prove to them that they could not possibly keep it.

Rom 3:20… “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: FOR BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.”

Jews today reject this utterly (as do many so called “christians”). If one is to keep the perfect Law, one must perfectly keep it.

Gal 3:10… “For as many as are of the works of the law ARE UNDER THE CURSE: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL things which are written in the book of the law to do them.”

Since failure to keep the Law (appropriate sacrifices notwithstanding) resulted in many curses, Israel was punished severely throughout history (Leviticus 26:14-39). I highly encourage any “law keepers” out there to read the above curses which came upon the nation Israel for failure to keep it. Today’s “law keepers” can not claim the blessings promised to Israel and reject the curses… such is absolute hypocrisy; aside from the fact that the Law was never meant to be “kept”, it was given to demonstrate that man, working “righteousness” by his own efforts, was a complete and total failure.

Unbelieving Israel today is one very angry, sick, self-righteous, satanic nation.  (Sounds rather familiar…)  They intend to utterly destroy and corrupt as much as possible before Christ returns in wrath to utterly destroy them and those which serve them. These are the people who will welcome and introduce anti-christ to the rest of the world as “god”!  The deception is extreme!  Those at the very top understand exactly what is to come.  The devil is their father BY CHOICE.  None at the bottom do and for them I feel extremely sorry.  We are to be witnesses unto these people of the free grace of God offered to ALL men everywhere.  We believers today are ministers of reconciliation.

2 Cor 5:18… “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;“

In the future, the new covenant, begun in early Acts and then temporarily ceased, will supernaturally put the Law into believing Israel’s hearts by way of Holy Ghost “possession” (if you will permit the term) and cause FUTURE “believing” Israel to be able to keep the Law perfectly (miraculously) as the few (the little flock of Luke 12:32 – given the “great commission”) began to do in early Acts (and will during the ages to come when the books of Hebrews through Revelation come into effect).

Ezekiel 36:23-28… “And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. (THIS HAS NOT YET HAPPENED. The Israel of 1948 is counterfeit anti-christ Israel because God did not miraculously cause it, men and therefore satan did.) Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, AND CAUSE YOU TO WALK IN MY STATUTES, AND YE SHALL KEEP MY JUDGEMENTS, AND DO THEM. And YE SHALL DWELL IN THE LAND that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

This is a future (ages to come) occurrence. It has not happened in the past and it is clearly not happening today.  God said very clearly that it would occur and God is no liar.  It will therefore occur.

Heb 8:7-11… “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT (with whom?) WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND THE HOUSE OF JUDAH (this is not us, we are NOT Israel, there is no Israel of God today): Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I WILL MAKE WITH (who?) THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL after those days, saith the Lord; I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND WRITE THEM IN THEIR HEARTS: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall NOT teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.”

If the book of Hebrews is for believers today, why does Paul instruct us to study the scriptures as in 2 Tim 2:15?  We would not require study as God would have supernaturally provided us all the knowledge of Him we needed; if, that is, we were Hebrews entering into the time of Jacobs trouble… which we ain’t.  We are NOT grafted in to Israels earthly program nor have believers today replaced Israel.  Believers today are Gods heavenly people… we are of the mystery program (dispensation) revealed to the Apostle Paul.  Nearly the entirety of Christianity today does not recognize the separate and distinct Apostleship of Paul.  As Moses was to the Jews, so too OUGHT Paul be to today’s believers.  But he is not…  😦

Romans 11:13… “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:“

1 Corinthians 11:1… “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.“

2 Tim 1:15… “This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.”

Currently and clearly, Israel is still unbelieving. They missed their true Messiah. They ARE of their father the devil as God Himself pointed out to them. (No wonder Jews today hate Christ and the Apostles who tried to show them the truth of their condition so vehemently!)

HOWEVER (and here is the WHY of the situation), they are STILL OPERATING under the currently (dispensationally) FALSE pretense that God has given them authority over the world. As they tried (and failed; they refuse to acknowledge this: read Acts) to keep the Law by their own efforts, which WOULD HAVE BEEN their righteousness (if they could have kept it), providing them their promised and prophesied authoritative position above all nations being a blessing to them; they currently by THEIR OWN misguided (satanic) efforts, are in fact trying to control the world, taking for THEMSELVES the authority only God can grant.  Doing such by THEIR OWN efforts is in fact playing right into satan’s hands. God is not behind them, satan is. They are currently NOT Gods people.

Hosea 1:9… “Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.”

They one day will, when the dispensation of free grace is ended at the translation of the church the body of Christ (ambassadors of reconciliation – 2 Cor 5:17-21) who are not appointed unto wrath (1 Thes 5:9) and no longer needed on earth to preach free grace; once again be Gods people BY SUPERNATURAL MEANS.  Post rapture (which absolutely MUST occur, as grace and peace rightly preached today are the polar opposites of wrath and judgement, rightly preached when the Kingdom is at hand…) the Kingdom will once again be supernaturally “at hand”.  Christ returns with His Holy Angelic Armies to clean this earth up BEFORE the Kingdom is established.  Judgement and wrath (not grace and peace as is today) will be poured out on a most deserving world.  Believing Israel will be Gods people once again!  They will be a blessing to the nations which survive the great tribulation.  The twelve WILL sit on twelve thrones, or God is a liar.

Hosea 1:10… “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.“

Romans 11:26-27… “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.“

Israels sins are not yet “blotted out”.  That occurs when the Kingdom comes.

Acts 3:19-21… “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, (why?) that your sins may be blotted out, (when?) when the times of refreshing shall come (what are the times of refreshing?) from the presence of the Lord (Christ with us here on earth).  And he shall send Jesus Christ, (not here now, must come again for second time) which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive (He is there now) until the times of restitution of all things, (thy Kingdom come post tribulation) which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began (whole of prophesy).“

Note:  Any man alive today can be saved by the gospel of grace freely offered as God has reconciled Himself to the whole world.  Christ was made to BE SIN for us and paid the penalty we owe (2 Cor 5:17-21).  Any man of Israel (any man anywhere) can reconcile himself back to God immediately and experience complete and total forgiveness as I have.

Those who bless “Israel” today are in fact blessing the anti-christ world economic, political and religious “one-world” system as Mr. Perloff describes. There are very few true Christians who understand what is going on here. Christian Zionism, as James points out, is one of, if not the most dangerous error in Christian theology today.

At some point, when this dispensation of grace is ended, God will once again (I personally believe it will occur in the same way as He saved Paul in Acts 9, the Bible is not specific on this) miraculously save 144,000 Jews and send them into the world, speaking in tongues (all languages simultaneously) to once again preach that the earthly Kingdom is at hand. As in early Acts they will once again be able to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, drink deadly things, etc… (Mark 16:15-18) as the anti-christ will be walking physically among the world trying to wipe them out.  Most of the world will be on his side.  It is at this time that the Gentile nations will once again be required to bless Israel as they will desperately need such blessing as food and shelter, clothes and money.  I fear not many will.

Notice very carefully that the nations (sheep (good) and or goats (bad)) do not know how or why they are entering into (or not) Gods Kingdom “come on earth as it is in heaven…”

Mat 25:31-46… “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, WHEN saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? WHEN saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? OR WHEN saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye HAVE done it unto one of the least of these my brethren (the 144,000), ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, WHEN saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it NOT to one of the least of these (the 144,000), ye did it NOT to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

This is Genesis 12:1-3 come to full fruition in the world in the last days (which we are not yet in – we are living in the dispensation of free grace). “I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee.”

Amazing how much sense the Bible makes when its overall construction is understood. It is a book of progressive revelation with Paul (not John) as the final human that God revealed His ultimate plans to.

Colossians 1:25-28… “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the DISPENSATION of God which is GIVEN TO ME for you, to FULFILL the word of God; Even the MYSTERY which hath been HID from ages and from generations, BUT NOW is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:“

Prophesy plus mystery equal satan’s utter destruction from earth (prophesy) and from heaven (mystery).  The manifold wisdom of God has utterly exposed, utterly condemned and utterly destroyed satan’s evil plan of utter corruption of heaven and earth, utterly and openly!

1 Corinthians 2:7-8… “But we speak the wisdom of God in a MYSTERY, even the HIDDEN WISDOM, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they WOULD NOT have crucified the Lord of glory.“

Colossians 2:13-15… “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, HE MADE A SHEW OF THEM OPENLY, triumphing over them in it.“

The Kingdom has not been “at hand” for some 2,000 years, though it will be again as Daniel’s 70’th week has yet to be fulfilled.  The end of which the LORD GOD will establish HIS Kingdom on earth with ZERO human assistance.

Daniel 2:44… “And in the days of these kings SHALL THE GOD OF HEAVEN SET UP A KINGDOM, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall NOT be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.“

Grace and peace (words from the Lord with which Paul opens his every epistle) is currently “at hand” where God does NOT recognize Jew or Gentile (Gal 3:28). All men have been judged guilty and condemned equally (Rom 3:23). Faith and trust in the atoning death, burial and resurrection of Christ alone is the payment for that guilty verdict (Eph 1:13, 1 Cor 15:1-4, Rom 4:25).

When one does not understand the Bible dispensationally, that is, God (who does not change) dealing with mankind in different (changing) ways during different time periods (dispensations), one has only a partial clue as to what is actually happening in the world around them, and no comprehension as to WHY. To understand the world fully one MUST understand the King James Bible dispensationally.

I hope this makes sense to one and all but especially to you James.  I would consider it an honor to entertain any questions or comments you may have as I understand fully this is a great deal to digest and contrary to what you have up till now learned about the Bible.  I know you have been taught that dispensational theology is fundamentally wrong.  Much of it is.  Correct dispensational theology however, is the only way the entire Bible makes complete and total sense.  As the Bible is full of seeming contradictions (Christ said follow the Law, Paul said we are not under the Law – Rom 6:14) we absolutely must know who is speaking to whom, when and why.

Correct dispensational theology does not lead to Biblical and scriptural error; it clears up every single seeming contradiction within the Bible.  James, I would HIGHLY encourage you to read the little white book I sent you by Justin Johnson titled “Start Rightly Dividing“.  It is not the error laden nebulous illogical dispensationalism you likely expect it to be.  It is clear, concise, utterly logical, contextually scriptural, remarkably simple and stunningly beautiful.

grace and peace to you and yours…

Next Post:  “Thoughts On Christmas.“

Standing versus State

/ grace country pastor / Leave a comment

There is a rather large disconnect in the Christ professing community regarding our standing “in Christ” and our current physical state of being here in this world.  There are those, most in fact, who believe we should judge whether another is a “Christian” or not based upon his visible fruit.  There are several verses which support such a view.  Here is one.

Matthew 7:20… “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

As a student of Gods Word I must therefore ask the question, if a man today is saved by grace without works of any kind (this is the mechanism of salvation in this dispensation), how then would I know if he were saved or not by the fruit produced by his works?  Or the manor of his living?  The short answer is, I could not.  The long answer follows…

If you have been following along with these posts in the order they were written, you are well aware that the words of Jesus above were spoken to men of Israel who were to be baptized WITH the Holy Spirit and given the supernatural ability to keep the commandments.

Ezekiel 36:27… “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.”

We know that these same men must show endurance through the tribulation in their physical battle with anti-christ to gain the reward promised unto them; namely, Gods earthly Kingdom come from Heaven to earth.

Matthew 10:22… “And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

The world, especially Israel, will love the anti-christ and will hate passionately those who go against him and his one world order.  Those who do go against him will eventually reap eternal life with Christ on earth.  This has been the promise of God to believing Israel and those under them from the very beginning.

Examining the standing and state of these men, we see that God supernaturally alters their physical STATE of being via baptism WITH the Holy Spirit.  God, with the new testament promise, gives these men the ability to follow the law perfectly.  He enables them physically to be able to NOT sin.  Such is the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophesy.

1 John 3:9… “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

Such is an incredible statement that no one alive today may lay claim to (even though many falsely do).  But this was the reality in the early Acts period and will once again be the reality during that time when God is pouring out His just wrath upon this world of unrighteous people.  In the above verse John is speaking to “little children”; the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14 who go forth and preach the everlasting gospel to every creature.

What is the everlasting gospel?

Revelation 14:7… “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgement is come: and worship Him who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

If you continue reading the verses in Revelation 14 they go on to warn anyone who will listen, specifically NOT to take the mark of the beast, for once that mark is taken, all hope of salvation is lost.  That man has chosen anti-christ, the false prophet and satan formally over God.  There is no further hope for that man.

What does this have to do with standing and state?  Quite a lot I believe.  The physical STATE of these people during this time period is made (present tense) perfect, in order for them to be able to endure the punishing wrath of God. This is why they are given such seemingly strange supernatural powers as they had in the early Acts period.

Mark 16:17-18… “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Why, for instance, are they to be able to drink any deadly thing and live?  There is a very good reason.  A great star falls from heaven during the great tribulation…

Revelation 8:10-11… “And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many died because of the waters, because they were made bitter.”

The Hebrew believers will be able to drink such poisoned water and live!  They shall also be able to lay hands on those who are made sick and heal them.

Their spiritual STANDING (as opposed to their physical state of being) is TO BE made (future tense) perfect; that is, will be made perfect (sins altogether blotted out) AFTER the wrath is concluded and Christ is seated on His rightful earthly throne.  During this time in which they are “enduring till the end” their spiritual standing is incomplete.  Christ does not yet sit on the throne.  They have not yet fully and faithfully endured to completion that task set before them, their baptism with fire.

Acts 3:19-21… “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”

The time of the restitution of all things is that time after the great tribulations conclusion.  After Jacob’s trouble when the desert shall once again bloom as the original garden of God; where the lion shall lay down with the lamb and perfect peace and harmony will once again exist between God,  His chosen and those Gentile nations who choose to bless them.  Only after they endure till the end will their collective sin be blotted out, and all Israel shall finally be “saved” (Rom 11:26).  Their spiritual standing once again made perfect after the faithful endurance of the wrath of God.

(Aside:  Any man self identifying as a Jew can today be saved by grace through the faith of Christ just like any other man.  No human alive today need go through Gods wrath.  Unfortunately, many will.)

This is so very different from the way God deals with us today.  Gods plan of salvation for the world via Israel (Gen 12:1-3); after Israel failed to accept her Messiah, was postponed in favor of the mystery kept secret since the world began and revealed to Paul.  Israel had fallen and God’s formal declaration of free grace to all men everywhere (without the need to bless fallen Israel) had begun.  Today, as we know, men are saved by grace through faith in the finished cross-work of Christ.  Trusting that He died for our sin and was raised again for our justification.

Ephesians 1:13-14… “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation (1 Cor 15:1-4): in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.”

We are not baptized physically with the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit “seals” us as Gods own.  We are His purchased possession, bought with the blood of Christ.  We are NOT appointed unto wrath.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10… “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”

We have been delivered from this present evil world.  We have only to endure each other (itself clearly not an easy task); we are not to endure the wrath of God.  It was already poured out on His Son on our behalf.

Gal 1:4-5… “Who gave Himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

There is no need whatsoever for God to alter our STATE of being in this present evil world because we have been delivered from the wrath that is to come!  There is no need of supernatural physical empowerment.  God is extending grace and not wrath to the world.  Our state, much unlike the state of the early Acts Jewish believers, is one of imperfection and weakness.  When Paul, also supernaturally empowered, nearing the end of his ministry, asked God for a supernatural healing, what was Gods answer?  No more signs and wonders…

2 Corinthians 12:9… “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Such is so backward to the vast majorities way of thinking!  Christ, the Holy Spirit nor God alters our physical abilities in any way, shape or form in this dispensation.  Religious people are crazy, deluded and/or not possessed of the correct spirit to think such is so.  There is no need.  Because… grace!  Not wrath.  In our human frailty, God’s manifest wisdom and overcoming strength is to shine through to a world in darkness.  The miracle today is that a sinner like me can be saved at all by doing absolutely nothing!  The world mostly ignores the greatest miracle of all.

Our physical state is hopeless until the time of the redemption of the purchased possession.  We are the purchased possession.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20… “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Our physical redemption takes place at the translation of the church the body of Christ (what most call the rapture).  When, as with the Jewish believers baptized WITH the Holy Spirit, our physical bodies shall be changed and we shall go to be with the Lord “in the air”, not here on earth!

1 Cor 15:52-53… “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17… “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Our physical STATE shall then be made perfect!  This is a future occurrence, which leaves only the present spiritual standing of the saved man to examine.

We currently exist in sinful bodies and cannot do the things we wish we could.  (I wish I had the ability not to sin, don’t you?)  There is a battle which rages in the saved man, one which needs reckoning if he is to live a risen life in this world, a life risen with his Lord and Savior, the life our Lord and Savior died to give us.

Galatians 5:17… “For the flesh lusteth after against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

The mechanism by which we are to live lays in the knowledge and full understanding of the spiritual standing we have been placed in, by way of Christ’s atoning death, burial and resurrection.  As Christ has been made alive so to must we reckon ourselves made alive in the same way, not physically (yet – rapture) but spiritually so.  God says to us today, through our Apostle Paul, that our standing is NOW made perfect in the eyes of the Lord.  That, while we currently exist in sinful flesh, God no longer recognizes our physical state but only our spiritual standing in His Son, whom He made to BE sin for us and then killed on the cross.  How amazing!  We are crucified with Christ nevertheless we live!

Galatians 2:20… “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

While Israel must wait for her atonement (at-one-ment); enduring faithfully to the end of the great tribulation keeping the commandments, we have NOW received such in our present fallen state!  As Christ is one with the Father, so too have we been made one with the Father spiritually.

Romans 5:10-11… “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have NOW received the atonement.”

Romans 6:11, 14… “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

Sin no longer has dominion over us.  How is this possible?  God has made us into something new spiritually, not physically.  Something which was not prophesied since the beginning of the world but kept secret.  The new creature, whose great commission is…

2 Cor 5:17-21… “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  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.  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

The “great commission” preaching the Kingdom “at hand” was postponed over 2,000 years ago in favor of the preaching of grace and peace; the reconciling of the world to God by way of the cross!  How many who profess Christ miss this?

Believing Israel’s physical STATE was (in early Acts) and will be once again (during the great tribulation) made supernaturally perfect.  This “Kingdom program” was interrupted by that which God kept secret… the dispensation of grace we find ourselves in today.  Their spiritual STANDING will be made perfect at the tribulations end, after they have endured through the wrath of God faithfully to the end.

Our physical STATE here in this present evil world will remain imperfect until the rapture when we shall all be changed into perfect celestial beings.  When the dispensation of grace is finished and wrath is once more at hand.  Our spiritual STANDING is NOW made perfect in the eyes of a Holy and Just God by faith and trust in the cross of Christ.

We are freed to live our lives unto God without fear or guilt in what our flesh is capable of, and will likely do, before we are either translated out of this world or die in it.

Romans 8:1… “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

No condemnation.  God is not punishing sinful flesh today.  He punished sinful flesh by making Christ to be sin for us and then killing sin on the cross as the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).

Romans 6:6-11… “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead is freed from sin.  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We are far more than “born again”.  We are resurrected with Christ and made alive unto God!  Paul knew that his flesh would fail him.  I know my flesh will fail me.  You, reader, ought to know your flesh will fail (has failed) you.  Though these words can be a bit hard to follow, Paul explains: that which he knows he should do, he doesn’t.  Rather, he does what he knows he should not do.  However, understanding his perfect standing in the Lord, he realizes that it is not him that does these evil things, it is his sinful flesh which does.  Since he (spiritual Paul) is crucified with Christ, these flesh issues (physical Paul) no longer matter.  They have been dealt with by the cross.

Romans 7:15-20… “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

Paul is telling us our flesh is hopelessly corrupt.  No good thing dwells in it.  God has not altered our flesh (not yet).

Romans 7:24-25… “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

God does not cause us to do or be “good”.  We are to study to shew ourselves approved unto God (2 Tim 2:15) that we would let His Word dwell richly within us.  It is only through the knowledge of what He accomplished on our behalf that we are empowered to walk in the Spirit.  Studying His Word IS walking in the Spirit.  Minding the things of God enables us to put off the things of the old man and to walk in the newness of life Christ died to provide us.

Colossians 3:16… “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Our physical state is fatally flawed.  Our standing is made as perfect as the One which died on our behalf.  Isn’t it about time we began to act like unto that which we have been made?  Again…

Colossians 3:16… “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Galatians 5:16, 25… “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

If we are trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross, we ARE “in the Spirit” no matter how we walk.  Why then walk according to the Spirit?  Because the works of the flesh are ugly and will not inherit the things of God; we have been made so much more.  These are the works of our sinful flesh:

Galatians 5:19-21… “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Praise God that even though we still exist in these bodies of flesh; even though our flesh still takes perverse pleasure in doing these things (that’s what the flesh is – just look honestly at the world in and around you); that God made Christ to BE these things for us and killed them dead on the cross!

1 Corinthians 6:11… “And such WERE some of you: but ye are washed, ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

How WERE we these things?  We were once unsaved.  By trusting in what Christ did for us, we are now washed, sanctified and justified!  APART FROM OUR FLESH.  The fruit of the Spirit, NOT OUR UGLY FLESHY FRUIT (as listed above), is beautiful.  These are the fruits of the Spirit (not of our “saved” flesh)…

Galatians 5:22-24… “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

The saved mans flesh is crucified, thank God!  Walking in the Spirit, (which is) being saved and allowing the Word of Christ to dwell in us richly; the above fruits of the Spirit will simply begin to manifest themselves in and through our lives without our even trying.  For when “we” try, it is “we” (our flesh) that will fail.  When “we” (our flesh) gets out of the way and allows what we’ve learned through salvation and Bible study to work through us, it is the fruit of the Spirit Himself that will be made manifest to the world through us.  This is what God means when He says that it is his will that all men should be saved and then to come unto the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:3-4).  We cannot get to the whole truth without salvation first.

Know for an absolute fact that we (our flesh) is our biggest problem…  We (our flesh) is not capable of “good works”.  To focus on the flesh is to focus on that which is already crucified.  It cost God His Son to do it so this should hardly be overlooked.  To be known by “our” fruit is to be known by the works of the flesh, in which dwells no good thing.  We should not want to be known by “our” fruit!  Far better indeed to be known by the Spirits fruit as we learn to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed, that the Spirit then is capable of working through (in spite of) us!  Let it be so Lord…

During the great tribulation, Hebrew believers will know one another by their physical fruits as they knew one another in early Acts.  They were, and will be once again, physically empowered to produce good works through the supernatural physical baptism WITH the Holy Spirit they had and will have yet again.

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