Author: grace country pastor

Israel’s future; but first rapture, anti-christ…!?!

/ grace country pastor / 1 Comment

We cannot speak of the future of Israel without first speaking about the end of Gods longsuffering dispensation of free grace to His creation.

Romans 11:32… “For God hath concluded them ALL in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all.”

God; to Paul and through Paul, informs Jew and Gentile alike, that ALL have been concluded by Him to be in complete and total unbelief; that in complete and perfect justice He might have complete and perfect forgiveness toward all.  When once a small group of people were concluded IN belief in order to fulfill Gods purpose for the earth…

Deuteronomy 7:6-7… “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.  The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:”

…and, that God has now concluded them in unbelief; Israel are no longer 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.”

…has God “gone back” on His Word to what were once His chosen?  Has God’s plan for the earth been altered?  Well that just can’t be, since God is true and every man is a liar. Continuing along in Hosea, we learn;

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.“

Israel will once again be Gods chosen!  God has not altered His plan for the earth, it is simply postponed while the mystery kept secret since the world began (Romans 16:25) plays out… and we now know what that is; God’s plan for the heavens – the body of Christ.  All are currently concluded equally in unbelief, therefore all have equal opportunity to take part in the “new creature” which God has reconciled to Himself via the blood of Christ.

There remains still a problem though.  God has reconciled the world to Himself, forgiving us our trespasses, yet sin still exists in the world and God’s ultimate plan for both the earth and the heavens call for the complete and total eradication of sin in creation.  God is currently “at peace” with the world, toward any and all who accept the gift of the blood of His Son; but that does not mean He is finished with the world.  He cannot be, as the majority of the world will not be reconciled to God because of human pride, and God must still deal justly with these, as well as with those angels which fell, satan at the helm.

So how does God then return to fulfilling His plan for the earth if that plan has been temporarily interrupted?  This heavenly program must somehow come to an end, as an “interruption” implies a subsequent “re-start” of the previous thing.  Most professing Christians have heard of the “rapture” of the church and most (correctly) complain that the word rapture does not appear in the Bible; but because of that, incorrectly assume the rapture cannot be.  The rapture MUST occur however, and is a resurrection (of those dead IN Christ) and a physical alteration (of those alive IN Christ) of all those saved in this dispensation of the free grace of God.  It is a radical and remarkable physical transformation of His body of believers from corruptible to incorruptible (only God can accomplish such!) which will occur at some point in the future that only God can locate.  Paul describes this event in:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18… “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  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.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

…and…

1 Corinthians 15:51-53… “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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.”

These verses describe the Lord Jesus gathering His “body of Christ” saints together to Himself “in the air” and NOT “on the earth” where the Jews will be regathered.  This is a graceful and peaceful gathering for those who have no hope of Kingdom resurrection (blaspheming Jews – Mat 12:31-32 – and Gentiles which did not bless Israel), as we have our own hope in the “air” or heavens.  This is NOT the second coming of Christ TO the earth which will be in vengeance and war, as Paul describes in:

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9… “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

The mystery, the dispensation of free grace to Gods enemies (blaspheming Jews like Saul/Paul and all us Gentiles) must come to an end before God can and will once again establish the nation Israel in accordance with its intended purpose; to be the channel of blessing from God to the world.  If this dispensation did not end then 2 different gospel messages would be available to mankind and they would contradict one another as Eph 2:8-9 contradicts James 2:24.

“Wait a minute”, you say, “God re-established Israel in 1948 so obviously they are His chosen people still”.  To which the Bible says, “Not so fast…” if  you will pardon my paraphrase.  If believers today are still present in the world as Christ’s ambassadors for grace and peace, that MUST mean that Israel as a nation is still concluded in unbelief, as Israel’s function was to teach and preach God, and to inform the world that the Kingdom of heaven was at hand.  The Kingdom is NOT currently at hand (with this comes judgement and war), as God HAS declared a period of grace and peace through the apostle Paul.  The “Israel” currently occupying the land God promised His earthly people ARE NOT, indeed CAN NOT BE, the Israel of God as they are not preaching Christ nor His Kingdom.  They are still awaiting their “messiah” who WILL be the false or “anti-messiah”.  God, in Christ, has NOT returned to the earth in the flaming fire of vengeance as of yet.  Christ is NOT seated on His earthly throne.  Israel is still blind to God’s ultimate truth.  Let us see what scripture says…

Romans 9:6… “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect.  For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:”

Not all Israel which are of Israel?  Huh?

Romans 11:7-8… “What then?  Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (according as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.”

Who then is this “election”?  It is NOT us, or simply ALL those who believe in Christ today, Jew or Gentile.  What the first coming of Israel’s Messiah accomplished was not “peace on earth”, as “christmas” cards proclaim, no.  Division was accomplished, but what needed dividing?  See Christ’s own words in:

Luke 12:51… “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth?  I tell you NAY; but rather division:”

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

Swords divide things.  Christ divided believing Israel from unbelieving Israel as He was sent to do.  The “election” or “believing Israel” (Peter and the rest) obtained the keys to the Kingdom and the remainder, the religious leaders and the majority of the nation were blinded to truth, and still are to this day.  Thus; are not “all Israel” which were “of” Israel.  Only a small portion of Israel in time past was Gods.  They have all since physically died and await their own Kingdom resurrection.

Gods longsuffering to all the world MUST come to an end before His Righteous Vengeance can be poured out upon it and His earthly Kingdom established for 1,000 years (peace on earth).  When this dispensation of longsuffering has run its course and His ambassadors have been recalled (raptured), God will once again be dealing with the earth as He was in time past with men consisting of Jew and Gentile; with Christ no longer seated but STANDING on the right hand of God (read all Acts 7) ready and prepared to return with the baptism of flaming fire prepared for unbelieving Israel (Mat 3:11, Luke 3:16); whose future Kingdom saints are supernaturally empowered to endure in the ages to come!  Examine the Bible Chart for a pictorial representation of this.

Man in 1948, walking the course of this world, following the god of this world (Ephesians 2 – please read) established a “government” which then took possession of land (land which God HAS in fact promised to His earthly people) and called that land Israel.  satan, pretending to be God, wants the world to believe that today’s Israel is “of God” so the “believing” world is on his side (Isaiah 14 – satan is God’s counterfeit and we require the KJB to discern between them as satan is very good at what he does; more in next post) as this is where and to whom anti-christ will appear… Israel.  Yes, anti-christ will “look” exactly like Jesus Christ and come to Israel doing great signs and wonders just like Jesus did.  (This time, the wrong time, they will believe.)

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10… “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

Israel, and most of the world, will be (ARE) fooled, as they do not have a love for Bible Truth.  satan even entered INTO Judas Iscariot who then became the son of perdition (the anti-christ, “that wicked”, as in 2 Thes 2:3), who then went to the “chief” priests who were not only glad to speak with him, but paid him for his efforts!  Had they loved their own scripture, they would have known their Lord was present among them (John 5:39); but they do not.  Like most men, they love themselves, the world and the religious system they created.

Luke 22:3-5… “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.  And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.  And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.”

Jesus said these were of their father the devil…!

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.”

My point, the point the Bible is making, is that nothing at all has changed in 2,000+ years in Israel (the Jewish religion) or the world at large.  Therefore, the Israel of today along with most of the world, blinded to the Creator God Jesus Christ (John 1:1-14), is still of their father the devil, and therefore, his coming son.  Ouch…

The difference between satan’s Israel (that which we see today walking the course of this world, Eph 2, which is satan’s) and God’s however, is stunning.  When God establishes HIS Israel, AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, it will be more special than any man alive can currently imagine (and far larger).  The land will be returned to Edenic-like splendor and all men shall seek God (if they are wise) therein.  Examine Gods description of His coming Holy Land:

Isaiah 11:5-9… “And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.  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.  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.  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.”

Isaiah 35:1-10… “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.  It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.  Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.  And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

This very thing was just beginning in early Acts.  The blind were given sight, the deaf could hear; the lame man leaped as an hart (Acts 3:1-11)!  Amazing prophesy fulfilled (but interrupted)!

Isaiah 65-66 (read all)

Zechariah 8:20-23… “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.  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.”

Jerusalem will be the capitol of the world from where Christ will rule with a rod of iron.  The twelve will sit on twelve thrones.  Indeed Peter, after selling and forsaking all he had, wants to know what’s in it for him!  He questions Jesus in:

Matthew 19:27-29… “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.  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”

The Jews will be the worlds religious leaders they were always intended to be… the nation of royal priests:

1 Peter 2:9-10… “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were NOT a people, but are NOW the people of God: which had NOT obtained mercy, but NOW have obtained mercy.”

No, that’s not us, that’s Israel!  God will once again bless those that bless Israel and curse those which do not (Gen 12:3), for another 1,000 years; at which point satan will be loosed upon the earth one last time to gather Gods enemies in one last ultimate battle.

Is this what is honestly going on in the world today?  For anyone with eyes, the answer is clearly no.  Make no mistake however, what God has promised, will absolutely and surely come to pass.  Things are going to get far uglier in this world before God makes them better.

Next Post: “The god of this world.“

Saved…! Now what?

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Glory, I’m saved…

Glory, I’m saved…

My sins are all pardoned, my guilt is all gone!

Glory, I’m saved…

Glory, I’m saved…

I’m saved by the blood of the crucified one!

What a wonderful song to be able to sing in grace and truth!  I pray that you, dear reader, can sing the same; and if so… well, now what?  Are we now free to live a life without regard for consequences, knowing as we do that heaven is the surest thing in the universe for us?  This is, after all, exactly what our legalistic brethren, clinging as they do to religious bondage, accuse us grace believers of.  If they only read what Paul wrote in their Bibles…  What does our apostle, sent directly by Christ to us, have to say about this?

Romans 6:1-2… “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

Of course we are not freed in order to sin.  Now that, by the light of our quickened spirit (Col 2:13), we are far more conscious of sin in ourselves, it actually becomes far more disturbing to us; and while it is not possible to stop sinning as long as we are living in these bodies of flesh; the more we come to understand all that Christ has done for us, the less we seek to knowingly live in a way that would be displeasing to our Lord.

Note carefully that Paul says we are dead to sin.

Romans 6:11…  “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

It is certainly easier for the mind to logically conclude the truth of these words, than the will of the flesh to follow suit.  While none of these early posts are exhaustive dissertations on any particular subject, in Paul’s epistles are found the means by which we come to live victorious lives in Christ, despite the battle our flesh will provide along every step of the way.  Paul explains the frustration (read slowly and carefully):

Romans 7:15-24… “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.  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Of course it is the cross work of Jesus Christ who saves Paul (and us) from this body of sin and death!  The saved man will find himself in a battle with his worst enemy (which satan takes full advantage of); himself.  The “reckoning” then, the completely conscious understanding that one IS indeed DEAD unto sin, is the key to true Christian living.  We will sin.  We can’t not sin.  Yet sin is not the issue in our lives any longer.  Christ dealt sin its fatal blow on the cross to any and all who will place their faith and trust in Him.  The punishment for sin is past and placed upon our Lord for us.  We, being in Him through faith, have been judicially crucified by God with Him.  God is so very good.  Amen.

This thought, taken to its logical conclusion, begs a good question.  If we have been freed from sin and death, and we are secured a place in heaven already, currently judicially seated with Christ at the right hand of God the father…

Romans 6:3-7… “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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.”

…thought continued below the lines…

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Point of clarification… this is NOT baptism with water.

As the Jewish believers were baptized with water AND baptized BY Christ WITH the Spirit (whose power demonstrated itself through them); we are baptized BY the Spirit INTO Christ’s body, which is the one true church today (note: it is NOT a denomination).  Ours is a spiritual baptism which takes place at the moment of salvation, as a man places his trust in the completed work of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:13-14… “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: 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.”

1 Corinthians 1:17… “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”

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…the question then becomes, what are we still doing here?  Why does God not take us immediately out of this world as we have come to saving knowledge of Him?  The answer is: that, AS He has bought us with the price of His own blood…

1 Corinthians 6:20… “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

…and we belong to God as His purchased posession, He has given us a job to do.  The Lord Jesus Christ is not here on earth.  He is currently seated at Gods right hand in the third heaven.  How are those around us to come to saving knowledge as we have, unless someone in Christ’s stead, should show them?  Some of my personally favorite scripture…

2 Corinthians 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.”

As saved men and women, we are, in Christ’s absence, and without Israel yet functioning as prophisied; His earthly ambassadors.  The ministry of reconciliation is given to you and I.  God has reconciled us (all people) to Himself; no longer imputing our (anyone’s) trespasses unto them; formally declaring grace and peace to us (and all people everywhere) by way of the apostle Paul; and asks that we in turn inform people of this abundant grace which He has shown.  This blog and this church is my way of doing what He asks me to do.  If you appreciate what you read, please share it with those you know AND those you don’t.

Christians seem to be very confused by what the “will of God” is for their lives, AS IF God wants something very unique for each and every one of us.  He does not.  He wants the same thing for all people everywhere.  What is that good and acceptable will of God for all?

1 Tim 2:3-4… “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Right there, in one single verse, is the will of God for all people everywhere.  God does not “work in mysterious ways” at all (though He did keep a secret until He sent Paul).  His will is to have all men saved and then to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  Saving knowledge is easy.  “Christ died for your sin.”  Further knowledge requires study.  More specifically it requires us to study what God told Paul.

1 Tim 2:15… “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING the word of truth.”

So, once saved, we are to begin to study Gods word in order to begin to more fully comprehend His Truth.  Why?  Because we are saved UNTO good works.

Ephesians 2:10… “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

We are NEVER saved BY good works.  We are saved UNTO good works.  What then is a “good work”?  Helping an elderly lady cross the street?  If I help several million safely cross, have I accomplished anything eternal?  Have any come to the saving knowledge of Christ?  No.  A good work then is a work that brings someone into the will of God for today, and, as we just learned, Gods very will is that all men should be saved and then come unto the knowledge of the truth.  This then is the saved mans ultimate function in this world.  Bringing people unto the saving knowledge of Christ and teaching them what Christ has done for them is the answer to the question; now what?

Ephesians 4:1… “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;”

Colossians 1:10… “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

2 Tim 2:24-26… “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

Most professing Christians will suggest you begin studying by reading the 4 “gospel” accounts of Jesus life.  This is a tragic mistake as the 4 “gospels” are not written TO us and can only lead us into more confusion, dishonesty and ultimate failure as we try to do things we are not capable of doing.  We can certainly learn valuable things about our Lord and what He is doing for Israel and for the Gentile nations in the future in them and they are therefore very important to us.  Believers today however, should begin to study the book of Romans, keeping in mind that chapters 9, 10 and 11 are written about the nation Israel.  Who they were, where they are now (they ARE not) and who they will be in the future.  Open His Book and start learning what God hath wrought for you, for us.  It is sure to alter your very existence.  Peace…

Next Post: “Israel’s future; but first, rapture, anti-christ!?!“

Paul… following grace.

/ grace country pastor / 2 Comments

In the last post we looked at a broad picture of what it takes to follow Christ as a Jewish believer back in “time past” (see Bible Chart), what salvation meant to him and what he was to do with that salvation.  Now that God has temporarily set Israel (His channel of blessing to the nations) aside:

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.”

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

What were the Gentile nations to do?

Plus, knowing that these Gentiles did not “become” Israel (spiritual or physical) somehow taking their place in Gods plan for the earth; how were they to come to know God without the “shining city on a hill” that was to be Jerusalem?  Enter Paul.  What did Paul advise these folks (you and I) about salvation?  Could we get saved without Israel?  The answer is a resounding YES!  Why?  Because to Paul and Paul alone was given the fulfillment of Gods Holy plan for His creation.  I know you never heard that before!

Paul tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  How were people to know that?  What proved it beyond doubt?  The Law itself did, because it was “un-keep-able”.

Romans 3:19-20… “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  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.”

The giving of the law was to force Israel to the realization that the law was impossible and that they could not keep it.  The Law was given to drive them from their own self righteous attitudes (as found in):

Deut 6:25… “And it shall be OUR righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.”  (Read the whole chapter!)

…to simple humble faith that it was God and God alone who could provide for them.  They (all men in fact as Paul demonstrates) are incapable of fully providing for themselves.  We are incapable of being or becoming righteous in and of ourselves in order to stand before a Perfect, Holy, Righteous, Just God.  So what did God tell Paul now that the Law had made its ultimate point in the crucifixion of Israel’s own Messiah; the ultimate self-righteous act?

It is my personal belief that these next 2 words are the most important words in scripture for this 2,000+ year period of grace which God has shown the world.

Romans 3:21-24, 28… “BUT NOW the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith OF Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified FREELY by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: …  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”  Please notice carefully it is the faith OF Christ UPON all them that believe.  This faith is not a measure of the believers level of faith toward Christ.  It matters not how much we say we love the Lord.  What matters is how much He loves His creation and what He wants for it in the future.

BUT NOW… meaning, what once was, is no longer.  Something has changed!  Where at one time (time past) men agreed to follow the law to try and earn their own righteousness; “but now” (the dispensation of free grace – the yellow area on the Bible Chart where we live today) the righteousness of God without the law is made available to mankind.  ALL mankind, both Jew and Gentile.

How can a man today possibly follow Christ or Peter when both say that following the law, among other things, was imperative to salvation?  Answer… we don’t.  We follow Paul as Christ instructed in:

John 13:20… “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”  Did Christ send Paul?

Galatians 1:1… “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead;)”  Yes, He did.  What does Paul then say to us?

1 Cor 4:16… “Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.”

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

Philippians 3:17… “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.”

“MY gospel… be ye followers of ME…  What’s going on?  This is not possible!  I’m supposed to follow Jesus”, you cry.  Let scripture put a fine point on this.

1 Cor 9:16-17… “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!  For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.”

Ephesians 3:1-7… “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.”

Colossians 1:25… “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.”  This one should be read again and again until it completely sinks in.  To Paul was given the completion of Gods Word to man.  The final revelation after the Book of Revelation!

Ephesians 1:10… “That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him:”

Yet precious few professing Christians see this ultimate Bible truth and suffer great delusion because of it.  Those “teachers/preachers” who say that dispensationalism (or dispensational Bible study) has only been around since the 1800’s need to re-read their KING JAMES Bibles.  God is a dispensationalist; therefore we are dispensationalists.

Do we worship Paul as many claim?  That is as far from truth as one can get and borders simply on name calling much like the term “hyper-dispensationalist” our legalistic brethren like to throw around.  The law is used in churches today simply to keep people guilty, under religious bondage and tithing.  In this writers not so humble opinion today’s churches that do not teach Pauline Truth are satanic at their core; as it is satan that wants more than anything to keep people from the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 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.”

Paul commands us to…

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

Has Christ made you free from sin and religious bondage?  It is why He died, FOR you.

How is a man saved today?  How is the righteousness of God without the law made manifest?

Simply by believing what God said and did as communicated by our Apostle, Paul.

1 Cor 15:1-4… “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

Romans 4:25… “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

Ephesians 2:8-9… “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

It is not the strength of OUR faith which saves us.  It is the faith OF Christ to the will of His Father which does.  We must simply believe and trust in what Christ did on our behalf.  Such a gift… such amazing grace and love!  Yet so few come to know what they are in order to receive it.  How can one be “found” if one does not know he is “lost”?  The whole world is lost.  Every man, woman and comprehending child.  When the world teaches a man that he is inherently good, the world is condemning that man to an eternity in hell.  Who is the god of this world?  Who did Adam give his loyalty to?

Luke 4:5-6… “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.”  Delivered by Adam who chose satan over God.  As God gave Adam dominion, Adam transferred the same to satan.

1 Cor 15:22… “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Don’t hear scripture like this in your church, do you?  Paul says, “from such, withdraw thyself”.  If you are still a son of Adam, you will die.  Without Christ, you will die.  Have you been adopted as a son of God?  You were born a son of Adam.

We beseech you; simply believe (in what Christ did) and ye shall be saved!  It is a transaction which occurs between you and God alone.  It is that simple.  Stop trusting in yourself and trust in Christ alone.

Next Post: “Saved…!  Now what?“

Peter… following Christ and the Law.

/ grace country pastor / 2 Comments

For the sake of simplicity, in this post (and likely others), since to Peter were given the “keys of the Kingdom” (Mat 16:19), when I refer to Peter, it is in respect to the twelve (all of them) and what they were instructed to preach to Israel during Christs earthly ministry.  Paul stands alone as the sole Apostle to the heathen (Gal 2:9) for Christs heavenly ministry, post ascension.

What then did a Jewish man like Peter (or any Jew in time past) have to do to be “saved”?  Since the ministry of Christ to Israel began with John the Baptist (John 1:6-7), and since John was a great prophet (Luke 7:28), what did he first instruct those of Israel to do?  John bared prophetic witness of the coming Messiah first and foremost, that the one to come after him was THE Christ (John 1:15), and to make straight the way of the Lord (John 1:23).  In other words, wake up Israel, that which was promised since the world began has arrived!  Repent (of your sins) for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mat 3:2).  Those who believed what John said were straight away baptized with water (Mat 3:6).

What did Jesus Himself instruct Peter to teach the nation?

Mat 4:17… “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, repent: for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Mat 10:7… “And as ye go, preach, saying The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Mark 16:15-16… “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” 

Jesus and John the Baptist then, are in accord.

Let’s fast forward past the cross and see what Peter is preaching to the Jews gathered from all nations at Pentecost, the feast of weeks.  Peter preaches a scathing murder indictment (Acts 2:22-24 – “wicked hands have crucified and slain”) and all who believed were distraught and asked “what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).

Acts 2:38… “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

The giving of the Holy Ghost with power was Gods sign of affirmation, that these were in fact inside the will of God and thus “saved”.  They believed and subsequently did what God required of them.  It seems that all are on the same page then; John, Jesus and Peter, as Peter is doing exactly what Jesus commanded him.  There are a few additional requirements (post salvation belief) throughout the 4 accounts of Christs earthly ministry (note: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are four accounts of a single gospel, the gospel of the circumcision (Kingdom), but not today’s gospel of grace.  Calling these books “the four gospels” as if they told of the gospel you and I need to hear, is tragically misleading as you will prayerfully soon understand.).

In Matthew 24:13-14… Christ adds a requirement while clearly speaking the same things.  “But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”  So now these believers must endure to “the end”… the end of what?  The end of the great tribulation, that period of time known as “Jacob’s trouble” and “Daniels 70’th week” during which the wrath of God is poured out on unbelieving Israel and an unbelieving world.  Jesus return to earth to set up “His Kingdom Come” arrives after this time of near ultimate destruction as prophesied in Joel, which Peter references.  Does Peters testimony agree with this?

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.“

Examine what these words are saying… 1) repent and be converted.  Why?  2) that your sins may be blotted out.  When?  3) when the times of refreshing SHALL come (future).  From what?  4) from the presence of the Lord (who is now up in heaven).  Until when?  5) until the time of restitution of all things when Christ shall come again.  So… from the time of these believers conversion to belief in Christ the Messiah, they must “endure” till the time of restitution of all things, or Christs second coming (after Gods wrath is poured out), for their sins to be blotted out.  Their sins are blotted out at the second coming.  What then is “remission” of sin as that is what transpired in Acts 2:38?  Remission is temporary; not yet “blotted out” but the punishment is abated.  They “believed” and are now made fit to “endure”.  This is NOT what you have been taught but is this what the words clearly say?  If we are to be honest, yes, that is what they say.

Jesus placed even more stringent conditions on believing Israel.  As from the beginning, Israel had a covenant agreement with God.  They agreed to follow Gods commandments that they might attain unto righteousness.  Knowing the hearts of men (and to really put the screws to the same) Jesus “doubles down” on the law, thus…

Matthew 5:27-28… “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

Not only do these men have to physically abstain from non-marital sexual relations with women, they have sinned if they even think about it!  Is there a man alive in this world today whose mind is completely free from such thoughts?  Show me one; and I’ll show you one liar.  Not only is the keeping of the law (all the law) physical, it is now in the realm of conscious thought.  Their consciences had to be as pure as their deeds.  Is yours?

Jesus also commanded His believers to sell all that they had and give alms.  The rich ruler asks the Lord, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  The Lord answers with a list of commandments to which the ruler replies; “All these have I kept from my youth up.”  What was Christ’s answer to him?

Luke 18:22… “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”

Then to “follow Christ” as most professing Christians believe they are engaged in doing, one must have sold out completely.  “But Jesus was just making a special point to this one person”, you protest.  Scripture replies: Following Peters first sermon where he exhorts the listeners to repent and be baptized: those that did; what did they do next?

Acts 2:44-45… “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; AND SOLD THEIR POSSESSIONS AND GOODS, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.”  This is Divinely instituted communism in the Acts 2 church and this is the way to follow Christ in this world.  Quite clearly, you, dear reader, are not following Christ as He commanded His followers to follow Him.  That is because you are NOT a member of the Acts 2 church which was the Jewish Temple.  How could and why would these believers do this?  As they were to go unto all the world preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, all their physical needs were to be miraculously provided them.  As the “desert Jews” received manna and the “multitudes” received bread and fish, these men had NOTHING physical (or even spiritual) to worry about.

Luke 9:2-3… “And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.  And he said unto them, Take NOTHING for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.”

Luke 12:22… “And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.”

Mark 13:11… “But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.”

These believers were baptized BY Jesus Christ WITH the Holy Ghost and were given vast Heavenly supernatural power.  They could heal the sick, give sight to the blind, make the lame to walk, speak any and all languages and raise the dead; because they had Holy Ghost power as Jesus did and gave them.  This is the fulfillment of prophesy (Isa 35:6).  They could even live in complete harmony with one another as they were all empowered in the same way.  This is HARDLY the world as it exists today.  We can’t even get along with our natural brothers and sisters, not to mention others who are not “like” us…

Something has changed, and drastically at that (if we are honestly reading scripture)…  As we have seen already (Gal 2:9), Peter agreed with Paul the he would NOT go unto all the world preaching the Kingdom at hand, but stay in Jerusalem and allow Paul to take his place to the heathen nations.  Did Paul then preach the Kingdom as denominational churches maintain?  Scripture demonstrates a resounding NO.

Next post : “Paul… following grace.“

Deceived…

/ grace country pastor / 5 Comments

I’d like to expound upon the statement in my last post, namely, that the VAST majority of churches in the world are teaching the wrong gospel.  Sure, they are teaching Jesus Christ, the “object” of our worship (and what He’s done for Israel); but they are NOT teaching correct “content” or what that “object” has done on our behalf.  We are NOT Israel.  The salvation message from God to man is the single most important message a man can receive.  Failure to recognize what God requires us to recognize (no matter how simple and beautiful) spells eternal doom, as we are all eternal creatures.  Israel was required to recognize Christ their Messiah and follow His instructions (content) to them.  Believers today are required to recognize what Christ our Savior has done for us!  Is your church guilty of deceiving you?

Anything other than: “Christ died for your sins” (period, end of discussion) is MORE than the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus and therefore, deception.  Deception can be remarkably subtle.  Paul writes:

2 Corinthians 11:3… “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

The simple and personally stunning realization a man (hopefully) comes to in his life; that he is actually no good whatsoever and can not do a single thing to save himself; is what I call facing Biblical reality.  Facing this ultimate reality is a difficult thing to do as we humans, generally speaking, are very prideful creatures.  The local church is almost always where people go in order to obtain that “feel good/you are good” reinforcement about themselves (which we all do crave); therefore the local church (professing christian or otherwise – “churches” come in many flavors, some secular) is the underlying support mechanism by which “good and polite society” operates.  “Atheists” simply believe in the inherent “goodness” of creation creating itself with man somehow (more and more) guiding his own “evolution”.  The university is his church and the religion of evolution (as opposed to a more formal deity) says he gets “better and better”.

The Bible, however, says otherwise.  How do I know God wrote the Bible?  Because it is ultimately critical of mankind.  Man would never say such things as these about himself:

Jeremiah 17:9… “The heart is DECEITFUL above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Romans 3:10-18… “As it is written, There is NONE righteous, NO, NOT ONE: There is NONE that understandeth, there is NONE that seeketh after God.  They are ALL gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is NONE that doeth good, NO, NOT ONE.  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

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

Romans 6:23(a)… “For the wages of sin is death; …” (continued below)

All means all.

“Ouch…”

You yourself must be perfect to be in the presence of a Perfect God.  A single sin negates that perfection.  What is a man to do under these circumstances?  He can lie to himself as most do.  Or… he may realize what God in Christ has done on his behalf and place his trust in that and that alone for his eternal salvation.  “Christ died for your sins.”  What else can there possibly be for a man to do?  “HE took YOUR place on the cross.”  There is only universal hopelessness outside of Christ who is the Creator God.

John 1:1-3, 14… “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”  (object)

Romans 6:23(b)… “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Accept Gods ultimate gift!  “HE… God Himself, died YOUR death, the death you deserved to die, FOR YOU!”  (content)

Is your church finding good in you outside of Christ?  Your church is deceiving you.  Is your church instructing you to “do good” in order that you may somehow obtain Gods favor and therefore (hopefully) salvation?  With the above verses observing you, can you honestly say that you are even remotely capable of doing good outside of Christ in you?  Read about Gods book before you answer…

Hebrews 12:4… “The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Who knows the human heart, Jeremiah?  God does.  He made it and gave it free will, knowing it would fail, also knowing exactly what He would do to make it perfect in the end!

Does your church teach grace; BUT you then have something to contribute?  Something like baptism, attendance, tithing, cleaning up your act, dressing appropriately, praying a prayer, coming to the alter, making Jesus “Lord of your life”, speaking in tongues, confessing sin, or any such religious man centered activity?  If so, your church is deceiving you away from the simplicity that is in Christ.  Can a man who is asking for forgiveness have already received it?  I think not…

Colossians 2:13… “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses.”

All means all…!

No “ouch” here  🙂

If Christ did not pay it all, now and forever, what hope is there for you, besides you?  Recall what you are!

John 19:30… “When Jesus had therefore received the vinegar, he said, IT IS FINISHED: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”  It is either finished, or… your church is deceiving you.

A church, as the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim 3:15), IF it be in the will of God for this dispensation of free grace in which we live today, should be teaching you first and foremost the truth about yourself, which is very hard to hear.  Without knowing the truth about your own condition, true salvation is NOT possible.  It is only after coming to the ultimate realization of our inherently lost condition, can we subsequently be “found”.  It is only after we are found that we can be of any use to God.  The only way we can be of any use to God is to try and show others their inherently lost condition and what God has done to remedy it.  People, very unfortunately, do not want to know.  Mostly… they are proud, knowing nothing.  Ouch.

1 Timothy 6:3-5… “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”

If your church is growing (gaining) by telling people what they want to hear; “you are good”?  From such, withdraw thyself.  If your church is not teaching Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (the doctrine) given specifically unto the Apostle Paul by the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ Himself, you are being deceived.  From such, withdraw thyself.  Is your church is teaching Jesus Christ according to prophesy of Israel?  Are they teaching Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (Hebrews, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, James, Jude, Revelation) as if these are instructions for believers today?  If so, you are being deceived.  While there is precious truth in these books, they contain Israel’s promises and instructions, not ours.  The Apostle Paul alone has the Truth for believers today as given him by Jesus Christ specifically for us.  Our truth is contained in the 13 books of Romans through Philemon.

Ephesians 3:1-5… “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,  If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given ME TO YOU-WARD: How that by revelation he made known unto ME the MYSTERY; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand MY knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was NOT made known unto the sons of men, as it is NOW revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;”

Is your church guilty of deceiving you?  The answer is VERY likely, yes.  From such, withdraw thyself.  Learn what Christ has done for you specifically, outside of His promises made to Israel.  Learn YOUR Truth from YOUR Apostle, given YOU by Christ Himself… Paul.

Next, we examine the basic and fundamental difference between what Christ instructed Israel via the twelve, versus what Christ instructs you and I, via Paul; as Christ has a job for Israel (earth) and a job for us (heaven).

Next Post: “Peter… following Christ and the Law.“

God created the heaven AND the earth…

/ grace country pastor / 3 Comments

Okay… logical exercise today (and pardon the length of this post).  IF satan tempted Eve in the garden, we THEN must conclude that satan was in a fallen state prior to that event.  If satan was on Gods “good side” at that moment, he would not have encouraged the worlds first two human beings to disobey the God who created them and forfeit their perfect and eternal existence.  If satan was in a fallen state, then his abode in heaven was also therefore in a fallen state… it was made imperfect by the prideful iniquity found within him (Ezekiel 28) and the legion of angels who left their first estate to follow him (Jude 1:6).  As God cursed the earth due to Adam’s sin, so too is heaven cursed by satans.  If heaven was not cursed there would be no need for war there (Rev 12:7).  All existence; the physical which we are able to perceive in these terrestrial bodies (1 Cor 15:40), and the angelic (celestial) which we cannot; are therefore spoiled by sin and are thus in need of redemption if they are to ever be made perfect again, as God declares in Ephesians 1:10…

“That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”

There is therefore a future dispensation wherein all things will be gathered together in the perfection that is Christ Jesus.  Nearly 90% of our King James Bible tells the tale of this earths redemption (along with its inhabitants) through Gods dealing with the nation Israel.  “Thy Kingdom Come” is the prayer heard throughout the encampments of Christ and the twelve (Mat 6:10).  “Thy Kingdom Come” is the (seriously misplaced) prayer heard throughout myriad churches around the world on Sunday mornings.  The tale of the nation Israel from Genesis to Revelation is the implementation of earths redemption.  As Israel is future redeemed, so too will be the Gentile nations who bless Israel (Gen 12:3) and so too will the land be made like unto Eden once again (Isaiah 35).  But not yet…

Question…  heaven too is fallen, so how will heaven be redeemed?  Prophesy says absolutely nothing about this and there is a precious good reason why.  In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul is explaining to these believers that he did not come to them with mans worldly wisdom or “smooth talking”, but in the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and the power of God Himself.  It is Gods own words of wisdom he delivers unto them… Paul is aware that he is writing Holy Writ!  He is preaching Christ crucified and the totality (prophesied and unprophesied) of what that means to these believers.  And herein lies the mystery we teach once again…

1 Cor 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.”

The hidden (mysterious/secret) wisdom God ordained unto “our” glory.  Ours, not Israel’s.  This mystery is then something that, had the princes of this world understood, they would not have crucified the Lord Jesus Christ.  The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished everything it was prophesied to accomplish PLUS something that was a mystery or a secret kept hidden in God Himself and therefore NOT heretofore revealed to man nor angel in scripture.  If God wanted to keep a secret, that secret will be kept!  Paul writes in…

Romans 16:25-27… “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, BUT NOW is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.”

Paul is revealing something brand new about the crucifixion; information now given to man (and angel, as we will see) that was kept secret since the world began.  The coming of Christ was not kept secret since the world began, His coming, death and resurrection was prophesied since the world began (Acts 3:20-21).  The redemption of earth was prophesied since the world began… indeed it is the story of prophesy itself.  The redemption of heaven was not however.  The church – the body of Christ is the instrument that God will use to “set heaven right” as He will use Israel to set the earth right.  This is magnificent, profound and not taught in denominational churches at all.  Mention it, as a matter of fact, and you will find it is taboo.  It is however what the Bible demonstrates.

The very plan of satan, to kill the Lord Jesus Christ, was the very method by which the God of Glory destroyed him completely.  Now that is Wisdom!  satan thought he had won the battle on Calvary and become like the Most High (Isaiah 14); yet it was his ultimate defeat.  satan knew Christ would resurrect (this was prophesied) but had no idea his dominion (heaven) would be made ultimately clean BY A NEW CREATURE (something the world had not yet seen) – the body of Christ where there is neither Jew nor Gentile!

2 Cor 5:17…”Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Gal 6:15…”For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”

It is believers today, the new creature; neither Jew nor Greek, bond or free, male or female (Gal 3:28); that will take up the places made void by satan and those fallen angels which followed him.  Paul writes to the same Corinthian believers…

1 Cor 6:3… “Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?”  As the twelve will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes in “Thy Kingdom Come” (Mat 19:28), believers today will “sit” in heaven and “judge” angels.  wow, Wow and WOW!!!

The reason there are two gospels to two groups of people is because there are two realms that require redemption in Christ.  One group is assigned to earthly things (Israel) and the other group (us), to heavenly.  Paul is therefore the Apostle to heavens redemption and thus the Apostle sent for us, whom we should follow, if we as believers are to be inside the Will of God.

There is a very, very profound problem with the teachings of today’s churches… they are teaching the wrong gospel.

Colossians 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.”

Amen!

Next Post – “Deceived…“

Two Gospels???

/ grace country pastor / Leave a comment

Yes.  Two gospels.  At least, I’ll be talking about two in this post.  There are more then two in our Bibles.  Noah’s gospel (good news) was “build a big boat and thou shall be saved“; please pardon my paraphrase.  I have been dancing around this concept by saying that Paul and the twelve were not, could not, have been preaching the same things.  Lets examine three verses of scripture in order to nail this down securely.

Galatians 2:7-9… “But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.”  Cephas is Peter, by the way.

If we allow the words to say what they mean and mean what they say, there are two distinct gospel messages contained within these verses.  How different is the circumcision from the uncircumcision?  The Jews were Gods chosen people and everyone else was not.  That’s about as different as people can be.  Is Ted’s dog the same as not Ted’s dog?  Of course not.  There was a specific gospel message “of” each; as Ted’s dog is specific to Ted.  Things that are different cannot possibly be the same.

I know… you have never heard of such a thing.  That’s okay; just because a thing is not popularly known does not preclude it from being true.  It is also not your fault for not knowing this.  This simple and most basic Bible truth is not taught in denominational churches, as the implications are more than profound.  This simple truth is the absolute key to Bible understanding.

Denominational churches (not understanding nor acknowledging the mystery kept secret since the world began) teach that Peter and Paul preached the same thing “to” two different groups of people.  Check these verses in any other “bible” you may have in your possession.  Nearly every one (and all “modern” translations, er, perversions) reduce the specific intent Paul (the Holy Spirit) had for writing these verses, and combined them into one single “kingdom” gospel message preached unto two groups of people; as if both groups are to follow the same instruction from God.  The King James maintains Paul’s literal meaning, and that is: 1) a specific gospel (good news) message was given to him that he could give to the uncircumcision (the heathen), and 2) a specific gospel (good news) message was given to Peter and the twelve that they could give to the circumcision (the Jews).

Both gospel messages were delivered to each man (Peter and Paul) by Jesus Christ.  To Peter, during Christ’s earthly ministry to Israel (see Matt, Mark, Luke and John); and to Paul during Christ’s current Heavenly exile (due to His friends (Israels) rejection, as He is currently seated at His fathers right hand in Heaven, till His enemies are made His footstool – Heb 10:12-13) on the road to Damascus in Acts 9 and expounded upon in Gal 1:11-12.

“But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Emmanuel (Christ with us) on earth for His earthly ambassadors, Israel, to bring in “thy Kingdom come ON EARTH as it is in heaven” (read those words carefully again); and the Risen and Glorified Lord Jesus Christ for His Heavenly ambassadors, the church – the body of Christ; you and me, today’s believers.  Our hope is in Heaven.  The Jews hope is Heaven come to earth.

These verses in Galatians also say something else quite extraordinary.  If the “great commission” was given unto the twelve in Matt, Mark, Luke and Acts, that they should go unto all the world preaching the Kingdom, why did Peter and the twelve just agree with Paul to confine their ministry to the circumcision (the Jews) alone?  They must have recognized something very profound.  That grace given unto Paul must be remarkable and powerful if it prevented them from fulfilling that which Christ commanded them.

There is no denying the existence of these two distinct messages if we believe the Bible as we say we do.  The words on the page say what they say.  In the next post we will examine some of the specifics as to what makes the two messages different to hopefully help flesh out the WHY of all this.  Why did God have two separate messages for these two groups of people?  Would it not have been far more simple to have only one?  As appetizing food for thought, look at Genesis 1:1…

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.”  A question… how many things did God create in the beginning?  Two!  Interesting, no?  Coincidence???  Not at all.

Next Post – “God created the heaven AND the earth…“

If not Christ (John 3:16), then who?

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If Christ was not sent to me (He was sent to Israel) then how am I blessed by His coming?  After all, John 3:16 says… “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  “Am I not a part of the world”, you ask?  Well, yes we all are a part of the world, of course.  “Then God sent His Son for me, says so right in the verse”, you exclaim.

Let me ask then… If the gospel of our salvation is that Christ died on His cross as a substitute for us (1 cor 15:1-4), taking our deserved place as hopeless sinners (Rom 3:26); with the penalty of any sin at all being sure death (Rom 6:23); was made into sin for us (2 Cor 5:21), that sin and its penalty could be permanently destroyed by death (Rom 6:6-7); and was subsequently raised for our justification (Rom 4:25); where in John 3:16 can I learn any of that?  In truth, John 3:16 is the gospel of Israel (the circumcision) as it was Israel who needed to simply “believe that Jesus was the Messiah sent from God” to His people.  This is the gospel Israel failed to grasp… simply, that Christ was God incarnate.

John 3:16 is NOT the gospel believers today need to trust in; the gospel that proclaims the object (but not the content) of our faith.  We must trust the object AND the content (what Christ did); that Jesus paid the ultimate cost of OUR sin on OUR behalf and rest in that and that alone; with nothing to add save insult if we even try to justify ourselves by way of “good works” to make ourselves more “pleasing” in the sight of a Perfect and Holy Creator.  A turd is still a turd no matter how polished the turd.  All the best human lives ever lived, COMBINED, could not even remotely approach the Perfect Life displayed in Christ Jesus.  He is NOT our pattern.  He establishes us perfectly redeemed, completely complete (Col 2:10) lacking nothing at all in God the Father’s sight, by what He accomplished for us.

Then who was sent to us?

How do we learn the “content” of our faith?  Christ says in John 13:20… “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”  Christ sent the twelve, but they were sent to Israel as they were preaching the Kingdom (and therefore impending great tribulation) “at hand”.  Mat 10:5-6… “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, GO NOT into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  Go not means do not go.  The twelve were not sent to believers today.  Great tribulation has not yet occurred.

Paul was sent to us.

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

1 Tim 2:7… “Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.”

2 Tim 1:11… “Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”

You rightly question, “So I am NOT supposed to follow Christ or the twelve?”  My answer (the Bibles rightly divided answer) is no, you are not.  You can not.  You are not empowered to (as early Acts believers were).  You are to follow Paul (NOT that we magnify or worship Paul), we follow Paul as Paul followed Christ.  We worship and magnify Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, One God in 3 Persons, for all time!

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

1 Tim 1:16… “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me FIRST Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”

“In me first“, Paul says?  “A pattern to them”…  “Did not the twelve come before Paul?”  They certainly did.  “Then how is Paul first?”  Because something changed.  The word hereafter shows this.  Hereafter what?  God dealt with man from the time of Abraham till the time shortly after Christ was crucified, in a certain way.  The nation Israel was His instrument to the world and Gods Law was His instrument to them.  But when Israel failed, God was not finished, as the world knew Him not.  He called Saul on the road to Damascus who became Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles; the heathen; you and me.  Paul became God’s instrument.  Free grace; the righteousness of God without the Law (Rom 3:21) was Gods instrument to Paul.  God Himself didn’t change; the way He deals with man over time, does.  The dispensation of the Law (Israel) was coming to a temporary end (as we shall see, God is far from finished with Israel) and the dispensation of the free grace of God to man was beginning.

Next Post – “Two Gospels???“

Christ, not sent for me?

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The first advent of Jesus Christ was prophesied since the very beginning of time… since before Israel was on the scene.  In Genesis 3:15 God speaking to satan says… “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

The Bible, thereafter, states clearly that the prophesied Christ was sent specifically to the nation Israel that the nation Israel would be Gods Holy Light to the rest of the world.  The entire “old testament” (and much of the new) is of and about the nation Israel.

Speaking to the Jewish leaders in John 5:39 Christ proclaims… “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”  Moses prophesies to the twelve tribes in Deuteronomy 18:15… “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall harken;”  The Jewish leaders did not recognize their prophesied Messiah who was the end (or fulfillment) of the Law that they were trying to pridefully keep by their own abilities, but could not.

Romans 10:4… “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe.”  Paul here is recounting that all Israel had to do was to believe that Christ was the prophesied Messiah come to the nation, and the righteousness of God would be imputed judicially unto them.  Read verses 1-5 for full context.  Who exactly does Paul say that Christ was?

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:”  The circumcision are the Jews.  Who does Jesus Christ Himself say that He came for?

Speaking to the twelve regarding the woman of Canaan He says, in Mat 15:24… “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Who does Jesus lay down His life for?  John 15:13-14… “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

These verses make abundantly clear that Jesus Christ came specifically for the nation Israel; and not only that, but only to those in the nation who would do whatsoever He commanded!  That is a mighty big IF in that verse!  Not many did what He commanded.  During His time on earth He was still commanding that the Law be followed; moreover, He magnified the Law greatly in the sermon on the mount by saying that not only must men physically conform to the Law, but our very thoughts as well must conform to the ideal of the Law.  Is this even honestly remotely possible for a man today?  The answer is no, it is not at all possible.  By setting the bar so impossibly high, God was saying to His people simply that they required Himself if they wanted to be righteous.  They, like most men throughout history, choose themselves over God.

Clearly then, Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry to Israel, did not have we Gentiles in mind, except that we would be blessed by His chosen nation Israel.  That is their stated purpose.  Speaking to the same woman of Canaan Jesus exclaims in Mat 15:26… “But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”  Sweet, kind and mild Jesus just called you a dog!  Ah, but you say: “Christ in the next verse blesses the woman He just called a dog, so He did come for her!”  The only reason He blessed her is because she recognizes her place in the grand scheme of things; as a subordinate to those above her, the nation Israel.  She (a lowly Gentile) recognizes the Lord that Israel failed to recognize, and answers in verse 27… “And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table.”  She realizes that Israel is to be something very special and accepts her place under them.  The faith she was required to demonstrate to receive a blessing from God (Gen 12:3… “I will bless them that bless thee…”) was sure.

Christ came and died (initially – at least what we know by way of prophesy) for the nation Israel and Israel alone; and only those in the nation who would faithfully keep His commandments.  It is only later when Saul is saved on the road to Damascus in Acts 9 that we learn fully what the death of the Savior of all mankind actually accomplished.  The implications of this are stunningly profound and will be examined in the next post.

Next Post – If not Christ (John 3:16), then who?

Paul, not one of the twelve!

/ grace country pastor / 2 Comments

I am now saying something precious few professing Christians realize.  The Apostle Paul was not one of the twelve.  This fact however is the single most important, and key aspect, to full Bible understanding and comprehension.  Most believers simply maintain the position that Paul continued the same Kingdom message the twelve (and Christ Himself) was proclaiming; but to the Gentile nations.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Lets us explore Scripture as it alone matters…

After Judas killed himself for his betrayal of the Lord, there were eleven apostles remaining.  What did the remaining do about this situation; as Christ chose twelve men for a specific reason?  The number needed to be brought back to twelve as there will be twelve thrones requiring twelve “kings” (ROYAL priesthood – 1Peter 2:9) to judge the twelve tribes in the coming Kingdom of God on earth (Mat 19:28); which is clearly not yet established.  If we are in His Kingdom now, God needs a new job as this world is a MESS… (preterism flies out the window).

Acts 1 (a continuation of Luke 24) verses 15-26 tell of this choosing.  Prophesy (Psalm 69) needs to be fulfilled, therefore another Apostle to replace Judas must be chosen.  An identified requirement for “membership” in this group (verses 21-22) is that this man (Judas replacement) must have accompanied the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry (something Paul did not do).  Two men fit the bill… Barsabas and Matthias.  The eleven then prayed and asked God which of these two men He had chosen.

Acts 1:24… “And they prayed, and said, thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,”  The word “thou” in the KJB is singular, it means “specifically you”… not “y’all”.  Many professing Christians falsely believe that the disciples were acting upon their own wills at this moment in time and chose Matthias themselves, yet the words on the page (if we simply believe what they say) clearly indicate otherwise.  The casting of lots was the method by which God made His decision known to them, as God was no longer physically among them.  The Bible says that Matthias was numbered with the eleven in verse 26.  The very next thing we read about was the baptizing WITH (not by) the Holy Ghost, to ALL these men at the Jewish Feast of Weeks, Pentecost.  (If Pentecost is Jewish, why do “Christian” denominations acknowledge it?)

Acts 2:1… “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were ALL with one accord in one place.”  All means all.  All includes Matthias.

Acts 2:4…  “And they were ALL filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”  Again, all includes Matthias.  Matthias will therefore sit on one of twelve thrones in Gods Kingdom on earth.

This is Gods seal of approval, the giving of the Holy Ghost.  Therefore the Kingdom Apostles number, once again, twelve; and Paul is nowhere yet to be found.

Okay… so what?  Paul was not one of the twelve and will not therefore sit on a throne in “thy Kingdom come”.  How does this prove Paul preached a message different from the Kingdom message the twelve preached (as that is what we maintain)?  It doesn’t.  That will yet be demonstrated by Scripture in future postings.  It must be made perfectly clear however, that Paul’s apostleship, at its foundation, differs from the twelve; and since Paul was NOT called by the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry to Israel as the twelve were, that this foundational difference does in fact exist.  This is the specific point of this post.  See this; understand this, and we can move on.  Paul was NOT one of the twelve!

Wait, back up a minute… did you say Jesus Christ’s “earthly ministry to Israel”?  Did not Christ come to save the whole world?

Next stop, more scripture you’ve never read.

Next Post – “Christ, not sent for me?“