Last Sunday evening I heard a ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensational’ preacher make the statement, "The rapture is not back in Matthew through John." But then he said the reason it was not back there was because it was another coming .... another event .... because God has another agency.
Let’s think about that. Another coming? Jesus’ disciples combined His coming with the end of the world:
Matt 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Evidently, Paul understood the same truth .... associating the coming of Christ with the end. When Christ comes, then will come the end of the world. There are no verses that teach that Paul was talking about an entirely different coming. He wasn’t:
1 Cor 15:23-24 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
Moses taught that the Lord will come with ten thousands of His saints:
Deut 33:1-2 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
Jude showed that when the Lord comes, His saints will come with Him. Enoch also prophesied the same thing:
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Paul said the Lord Jesus Christ will come with ALL His saints .... not a separated agency of SOME of them .... not just ‘his’ converts. But 'mid-Acts-ers’ teach that Christ will come with ONLY those who have been saved by PAUL’s writings, who-they-think are SOLELY the body of Christ. There is no reason to think these saints are another agency. They aren’t:
1 Thess 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (ALL His saints does NOT mean PART of His saints .... it means what it says "ALL His saints.")
1 Thess 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (Saints did "sleep in Jesus" BEFORE PAUL .... see Dan 12:2; Stephen in Acts 7:60, David in Acts 13:36; 1 Cor 11:30, 15:51; the fathers in 2 Pet 3:4)
Jude showed that when the Lord comes with His saints .... He will judge all:
Jude 1:14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
The Psalmist knew that the Lord will judge everyone .... when He comes:
Psa 98:8-9 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
Paul taught that when the Lord comes .... it will be the time of judgment. There is no verses that indicate this is a different judgment. It isn’t:
1 Cor 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
2 Tim 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
When the Lord comes .... He will come in the clouds:
Matt 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
John records the same information about Christ’s coming .... everyone will see Him coming in/with the clouds:
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Paul also shows that, at the coming of the Lord, in the clouds is where we will meet Him. There is no reason to think that His coming in the clouds that the other prophets prophesied .... is a different coming in the clouds that PAUL prophesied. It isn’t:
1 Thess 4:17 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.
The coming of the Lord will be attended by a trumpet’s sound:
Matt 24:31 And he shall send his angels (WHOSE angels? HIS angels! Notice the verse does not identify who will blow the trumpet. It is not the devil’s angels. It is not the devil’s trumpet. They are GOD’s angels .... and it is GOD’s trumpet!) with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Paul also showed the sound of a trumpet:
1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, (Notice again, the verse does not identify who will blow the trumpet.) and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Again, Paul wrote of the trumpet sound that will accompany the Lord’s coming. It is GOD’s trump. There is no reason to think the trump PAUL told us about will be a different trump. It won’t:
1 Thess 4:15-16 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.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: (Yet again, the verse does not identify who will blow the trumpet.) and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
When the Lord Jesus comes .... His saints will be gathered together:
Matt 3:11-12 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner;
but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Paul also taught that when Jesus comes .... He will BOTH .... burn the ungodly with fire, and be glorified in His saints:
2 Thess 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (the SAME day that He comes with fire on His enemies)
Matt 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Paul also taught that God’s saints will be gathered together .... when the Lord comes. There is no reason to think that THIS gathering is another gathering. It isn’t:
2 Thess 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
Not only will it be the SAME gathering ....
but ALL the saints EVERYWHERE .... will be gathered together ‘IN ONE’.
Caiaphas, the high priest, prophesied that Jesus would die for Israel .... and not for Israel only --- but He will gather together ALL the children of God in ONE:
John 11:51-52 And this spake he (Caiaphas - John 11:49) not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
Are YOU a child of God?
Luke 20:36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Are you ONE ‘with’ the children of God? I am.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Then in the end of the world (1 Cor 10:11), in the dispensation of the fulness of times .... ALL will be gathered together in ONE in Christ (Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:12-13; Eph 2:16, 3:5, 4:4; Col 3:15). Certainly, ALL the saints that were in heaven .... will be JOINED WITH .... ALL the saints that will be on earth. There is no reason to think that this is another union. It isn’t:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness 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:
The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher makes another coming, another agency, another event, another Jesus, another destiny, another inheritance .... another .... another .... another .... He divides into oblivion, and there is no reason to.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Who Preached the Kingdom of God?
Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of God:
Mark 1:14-15 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel [euaggelion] of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Jesus understood His message and fulfilled His mission:
Luke 4:43-44 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
Jesus’ 12 disciples accompanied Him when He spread the gospel to each locality:
Luke 8:1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings [euaggelizo] of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
Then Jesus’ commissioned His 12 disciples to preach the kingdom of God .... as they had witnessed His preaching:
Luke 9:1-2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
The old testament went up to John the Baptist, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Isa 40:3, Mal 3:1, Matt 3:1-3, Mark 1:1-3, Luke 1:17, 3:1-6). The gospel of Jesus Christ was for the new testament, because He was the mediator of it (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 8:6, 9:15, 12:24), for all people:
Mark 1:1-3 The beginning of the gospel [euaggelion] of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger (John the Baptist) before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Luke 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Jesus showed where to DIVIDE. (also John 1:17)
John the Baptist concluded the old testament.
The beginning of the new testament was with the gospel of Jesus Christ .... an ‘every man’ opportunity:
Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John:
since that time the kingdom of God is preached
[euaggelizo],
and every man presseth into it.
Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Jesus knew the urgency of preaching the kingdom of God,
and told a certain man to forsake a funeral to get on with preaching it:
Luke 9:59-60 And he said unto another, Follow me.
But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead:
but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
During 40 days after His death and resurrection, before He went back up to heaven, Jesus taught more about the kingdom of God:
Acts 1:1-3 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus,
of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Philip preached the kingdom of God:
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
After Jesus’ death and resurrection (1 Cor 15:3-4), He appeared to Peter, and the 12, and over 500 brethren at once, and James, and all the apostles, and Paul (1 Cor 15:5-8) .... who all preached (1 Cor 15:11) the gospel by which you are saved (1 Cor 15:2).
Paul and Barnabas both preached the kingdom of God all over many places:
Acts 14:19-22 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
21 And when they had preached the gospel [euaggelizo] to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
22 Confirming the souls of the disciples,
and exhorting them to continue in the faith,
and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Paul preached the kingdom of God at Ephesus:
Acts 19:8 And he (Paul - Acts 19:6) went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
Paul spent all day long .... preaching the kingdom of God .... for 2 entire years .... when he was confined to house arrest .... before he was executed for Christ’s sake:
Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging;
to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God,
persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Acts 28:30-31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
31 Preaching the kingdom of God,
and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
Jesus preached the kingdom of God, the 12 apostles did, Philip did, Paul did, Barnabas did. Paul was thankful for his helpers in the minstry .... as he preached the kingdom of God:
Col 4:11 And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
Paul also wrote to the Corinthians (1 Cor 6:9-10, 15:50) and the Galatians (Gal 5:21) about the kingdom of God. He encouraged the Thessalonians in their patience and faith in all their persecutions and tribulations that they endured (2 Thess 1:4) for the kingdom of God’s sake:
2 Thess 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
What’s it worth .... to preach the kingdom of God?
It will surely bring loss and suffering .... in this life.
But the eternal rewards .... in the next:
Luke 18:29-30 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time,
and in the world to come life everlasting.
Would YOU preach the kingdom of God? ‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ don’t. I didn’t either when I was one of them.
But now, I will charge with Paul:
1 Thess 2:11-12 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
Mark 1:14-15 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel [euaggelion] of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Jesus understood His message and fulfilled His mission:
Luke 4:43-44 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
Jesus’ 12 disciples accompanied Him when He spread the gospel to each locality:
Luke 8:1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings [euaggelizo] of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
Then Jesus’ commissioned His 12 disciples to preach the kingdom of God .... as they had witnessed His preaching:
Luke 9:1-2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
The old testament went up to John the Baptist, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Isa 40:3, Mal 3:1, Matt 3:1-3, Mark 1:1-3, Luke 1:17, 3:1-6). The gospel of Jesus Christ was for the new testament, because He was the mediator of it (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 8:6, 9:15, 12:24), for all people:
Mark 1:1-3 The beginning of the gospel [euaggelion] of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger (John the Baptist) before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Luke 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Jesus showed where to DIVIDE. (also John 1:17)
John the Baptist concluded the old testament.
The beginning of the new testament was with the gospel of Jesus Christ .... an ‘every man’ opportunity:
Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John:
since that time the kingdom of God is preached
[euaggelizo],
and every man presseth into it.
Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Jesus knew the urgency of preaching the kingdom of God,
and told a certain man to forsake a funeral to get on with preaching it:
Luke 9:59-60 And he said unto another, Follow me.
But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead:
but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
During 40 days after His death and resurrection, before He went back up to heaven, Jesus taught more about the kingdom of God:
Acts 1:1-3 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus,
of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Philip preached the kingdom of God:
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
After Jesus’ death and resurrection (1 Cor 15:3-4), He appeared to Peter, and the 12, and over 500 brethren at once, and James, and all the apostles, and Paul (1 Cor 15:5-8) .... who all preached (1 Cor 15:11) the gospel by which you are saved (1 Cor 15:2).
Paul and Barnabas both preached the kingdom of God all over many places:
Acts 14:19-22 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
21 And when they had preached the gospel [euaggelizo] to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
22 Confirming the souls of the disciples,
and exhorting them to continue in the faith,
and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Paul preached the kingdom of God at Ephesus:
Acts 19:8 And he (Paul - Acts 19:6) went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
Paul spent all day long .... preaching the kingdom of God .... for 2 entire years .... when he was confined to house arrest .... before he was executed for Christ’s sake:
Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging;
to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God,
persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Acts 28:30-31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
31 Preaching the kingdom of God,
and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
Jesus preached the kingdom of God, the 12 apostles did, Philip did, Paul did, Barnabas did. Paul was thankful for his helpers in the minstry .... as he preached the kingdom of God:
Col 4:11 And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
Paul also wrote to the Corinthians (1 Cor 6:9-10, 15:50) and the Galatians (Gal 5:21) about the kingdom of God. He encouraged the Thessalonians in their patience and faith in all their persecutions and tribulations that they endured (2 Thess 1:4) for the kingdom of God’s sake:
2 Thess 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
What’s it worth .... to preach the kingdom of God?
It will surely bring loss and suffering .... in this life.
But the eternal rewards .... in the next:
Luke 18:29-30 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time,
and in the world to come life everlasting.
Would YOU preach the kingdom of God? ‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ don’t. I didn’t either when I was one of them.
But now, I will charge with Paul:
1 Thess 2:11-12 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Where Are the Showers of Blessing?
A ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensational’ preacher just this past Sunday made a typical division between Israel’s earthly blessings from the sermon on the mount .... and .... blessings in the heavenly places for what-he-calls the body of Christ (meaning only saints that are saved through Paul’s ministry).
He contrasted:
Matt 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
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:
Since that’s the paradigm he created and wanted you to see, those are the chosen verses he compared. But there are some other verses you need in order to make an informed decision on whether you buy his wares or not.
Consider this. The promise of earthly inheritance for the meek is an old one. Jesus brought it forward from Psa 37:11.
Psa 37:7-13 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:
fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way,
because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:
fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off:
but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:
yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth;
and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
The theme of that passage has to do with the righteous waiting patiently for the Lord to come and bring their inheritance .... as well as get His revenge on the wicked. Notice how similar the situation is in Paul’s day. Those are the very same issues that Paul taught:
2 Thess 1:4-10 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (not just ‘some’ of the saints .... but ALL who believe) (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
It is as it has always been. The wicked torment the righteous:
2 Tim 3:12-13 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (also James 5:1-9)
There will be a payday someday .... when Jesus appears and sets up His kingdom. (FYI, ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach that those are divided events --- that Jesus will appear 7 + ?# years before He comes again to establish His kingdom on earth --- but there is no indication of that in the verse):
2 Tim 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; (also Acts 10:42, 17:31, 1 Pet 4:5, Heb 9:27)
Yes, the culmination will come .... when the Lord comes .... at the last trump (1 Cor 15:52). That is when the righteous will get rewarded and the wicked will be destroyed:
Rev 11:15,18 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come,
and the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great;
and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
At the onset of Paul’s commission from the Lord, Jesus told him that he would be used to tell the Gentiles they will share in Israel’s inheritance .... as fellow-heirs (Eph 3:6):
Acts 26:16-18 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 20:32 says "to give you an inheritance among ALL them which are sanctified.")
The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher did not mention Jesus’ instructions .... continuing in the sermon on the mount .... to store up true wealth in heaven’s depository. The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher’s teaching about ‘only Paul’ and ‘only heavenly blessings’ for ‘only the body of Christ’ .... does not match Jesus’ words:
Matt 6:19-20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Neither did the ‘mid-Acts’ preacher say anything about the heavenly promise in PETER’s epistle .... because it does not fit his paradigm of division -- instead of UNITY -- among God’s saints:
1 Peter 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher makes separate believers and forces different inheritances on earth and in heaven .... but Jesus did not do that, and neither should we:
Matt 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Where are the showers of blessings? This is the promise of love.
They are laid up in heaven until the end of the world. Then Jesus will bring them with Him when He comes with ALL His saints (1 Thess 3:13):
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
He contrasted:
Matt 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
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:
Since that’s the paradigm he created and wanted you to see, those are the chosen verses he compared. But there are some other verses you need in order to make an informed decision on whether you buy his wares or not.
Consider this. The promise of earthly inheritance for the meek is an old one. Jesus brought it forward from Psa 37:11.
Psa 37:7-13 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:
fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way,
because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:
fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off:
but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:
yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth;
and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
The theme of that passage has to do with the righteous waiting patiently for the Lord to come and bring their inheritance .... as well as get His revenge on the wicked. Notice how similar the situation is in Paul’s day. Those are the very same issues that Paul taught:
2 Thess 1:4-10 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (not just ‘some’ of the saints .... but ALL who believe) (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
It is as it has always been. The wicked torment the righteous:
2 Tim 3:12-13 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (also James 5:1-9)
There will be a payday someday .... when Jesus appears and sets up His kingdom. (FYI, ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach that those are divided events --- that Jesus will appear 7 + ?# years before He comes again to establish His kingdom on earth --- but there is no indication of that in the verse):
2 Tim 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; (also Acts 10:42, 17:31, 1 Pet 4:5, Heb 9:27)
Yes, the culmination will come .... when the Lord comes .... at the last trump (1 Cor 15:52). That is when the righteous will get rewarded and the wicked will be destroyed:
Rev 11:15,18 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come,
and the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great;
and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
At the onset of Paul’s commission from the Lord, Jesus told him that he would be used to tell the Gentiles they will share in Israel’s inheritance .... as fellow-heirs (Eph 3:6):
Acts 26:16-18 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 20:32 says "to give you an inheritance among ALL them which are sanctified.")
The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher did not mention Jesus’ instructions .... continuing in the sermon on the mount .... to store up true wealth in heaven’s depository. The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher’s teaching about ‘only Paul’ and ‘only heavenly blessings’ for ‘only the body of Christ’ .... does not match Jesus’ words:
Matt 6:19-20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Neither did the ‘mid-Acts’ preacher say anything about the heavenly promise in PETER’s epistle .... because it does not fit his paradigm of division -- instead of UNITY -- among God’s saints:
1 Peter 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
The ‘mid-Acts’ preacher makes separate believers and forces different inheritances on earth and in heaven .... but Jesus did not do that, and neither should we:
Matt 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Where are the showers of blessings? This is the promise of love.
They are laid up in heaven until the end of the world. Then Jesus will bring them with Him when He comes with ALL His saints (1 Thess 3:13):
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Set for the Defence of the Chart?
Just this past Sunday, a ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalist’ preacher defended his chart.
He said, "A chart is a map. You better get a chart." Well, I used that chart for years, and I found out it was wrong, so I threw it away.
The authority is in GOD’s word. The scripture alone has perfect validity.
There is where I place my firm support .... not in a man, not in a school, not in a chart:
Phil 1:3-7 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (1 Cor 1:8, 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14; Phil 1:10, 2:16; 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Thess 2:2; 2 Pet 3:10,12)
7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence [apologia] and confirmation of the gospel,
ye all are partakers of my grace.
I’m not in chains like Paul .... but I hope others will be encouraged, exhorted, and convinced (Titus 1:9) from my studies of sound doctrine in the power of the verses:
Phil 1:12-18 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife;
and some also of good will:
16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17 But the other of love, knowing that
I am set for the defence [apologia] of the gospel.
18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
A proper defense is a reasoned statement or argument.
It is a good answer made with a humble, clear head, like Peter said:
1 Peter 3:15-16 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
and be ready always to give an answer [apologia] to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
I’m willing and prepared to talk about what I now believe. Those who think I’m doing evil should be embarrassed .... for insulting the scriptures .... that I am pointing out .... that they have avoided or divided away.
Defend the chart? Not me! Not anymore!
With Paul and Peter, I am set for the defense of the gospel and the hope that is in me!
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
He said, "A chart is a map. You better get a chart." Well, I used that chart for years, and I found out it was wrong, so I threw it away.
The authority is in GOD’s word. The scripture alone has perfect validity.
There is where I place my firm support .... not in a man, not in a school, not in a chart:
Phil 1:3-7 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (1 Cor 1:8, 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14; Phil 1:10, 2:16; 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Thess 2:2; 2 Pet 3:10,12)
7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence [apologia] and confirmation of the gospel,
ye all are partakers of my grace.
I’m not in chains like Paul .... but I hope others will be encouraged, exhorted, and convinced (Titus 1:9) from my studies of sound doctrine in the power of the verses:
Phil 1:12-18 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife;
and some also of good will:
16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17 But the other of love, knowing that
I am set for the defence [apologia] of the gospel.
18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
A proper defense is a reasoned statement or argument.
It is a good answer made with a humble, clear head, like Peter said:
1 Peter 3:15-16 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
and be ready always to give an answer [apologia] to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
I’m willing and prepared to talk about what I now believe. Those who think I’m doing evil should be embarrassed .... for insulting the scriptures .... that I am pointing out .... that they have avoided or divided away.
Defend the chart? Not me! Not anymore!
With Paul and Peter, I am set for the defense of the gospel and the hope that is in me!
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Word of the Lord?
It is frequently taught by a ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalist’
that the phrase "by the word of the Lord" (in 1 Thess 4:15) means that
‘this information is part of Paul’s SPECIAL revelation,
uniquely for (what-he-calls) the mystery program,
only for (what-he-calls) the body of Christ
(which-he-thinks is only people who have been saved by what-he-thinks is Paul’s DISTINCT gospel).’
He said when Paul said, "by the word of the Lord" that meant is was not in (what-he-calls) the "prophecy program" but in (what-he-calls) the "mystery program".
We will briefly examine his ‘mid-Acts’ doctrine:
1 Thess 4:15-17 For this we say unto you
by the word [logos] of the Lord [kurios],
that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
A ‘mid-Acts’ preacher makes a mess with that phrase "by the word of the Lord" because of his paradigm (Yeah! Now I spelled it correctly!) that Paul had a ‘secret pre-tribulation rapture’ given only to him by the ‘risen, glorified’ Lord Jesus (Who-he-thinks is ‘another Jesus’ from ‘the earthly Jesus’ based on 2 Cor 11:4, which is another issue where he is wrong).
16 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:
17 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.
Both the phrases "the word" (singular) and "the words" (plural)
are the same Greek word [logos].
When Paul was in Ephesus, he taught freely and confidently for 3 months in the assembly meeting-place of Jews, that eventually allowed Gentile Christians .... reasoning with people and convincing some to believe and preaching about (What?!?) the kingdom of God.
Acts 19:8-10 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing (conversing, arguing, discussing) daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word [logos] of the Lord [kurios] Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
Do you think that Jesus gave Paul a ‘special revelation’ just for the Asians?
Let’s try the phrase "the word of the Lord" again in another passage.
Paul told the Ephesian elders not to forget the words of the Lord Jesus:
Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak,
and to remember the words [logos] of the Lord [kurios] Jesus,
how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Do you suppose that Jesus only said those words to Paul?
That is the application of ‘mid-Acts’ teaching on that "the word/words of the Lord" phrase.
Could He possibly have said them during His earthly ministry?
Oh no, that was part of the ‘special revelation’ Jesus gave only to Paul.
According to Peter, the word of the Lord is eternal:
1 Peter 1:24-25 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ think Paul had the corner on the word of the Lord.
But he didn’t.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
that the phrase "by the word of the Lord" (in 1 Thess 4:15) means that
‘this information is part of Paul’s SPECIAL revelation,
uniquely for (what-he-calls) the mystery program,
only for (what-he-calls) the body of Christ
(which-he-thinks is only people who have been saved by what-he-thinks is Paul’s DISTINCT gospel).’
He said when Paul said, "by the word of the Lord" that meant is was not in (what-he-calls) the "prophecy program" but in (what-he-calls) the "mystery program".
We will briefly examine his ‘mid-Acts’ doctrine:
1 Thess 4:15-17 For this we say unto you
by the word [logos] of the Lord [kurios],
that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
A ‘mid-Acts’ preacher makes a mess with that phrase "by the word of the Lord" because of his paradigm (Yeah! Now I spelled it correctly!) that Paul had a ‘secret pre-tribulation rapture’ given only to him by the ‘risen, glorified’ Lord Jesus (Who-he-thinks is ‘another Jesus’ from ‘the earthly Jesus’ based on 2 Cor 11:4, which is another issue where he is wrong).
16 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:
17 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.
Both the phrases "the word" (singular) and "the words" (plural)
are the same Greek word [logos].
When Paul was in Ephesus, he taught freely and confidently for 3 months in the assembly meeting-place of Jews, that eventually allowed Gentile Christians .... reasoning with people and convincing some to believe and preaching about (What?!?) the kingdom of God.
Acts 19:8-10 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing (conversing, arguing, discussing) daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word [logos] of the Lord [kurios] Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
Do you think that Jesus gave Paul a ‘special revelation’ just for the Asians?
Let’s try the phrase "the word of the Lord" again in another passage.
Paul told the Ephesian elders not to forget the words of the Lord Jesus:
Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak,
and to remember the words [logos] of the Lord [kurios] Jesus,
how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Do you suppose that Jesus only said those words to Paul?
That is the application of ‘mid-Acts’ teaching on that "the word/words of the Lord" phrase.
Could He possibly have said them during His earthly ministry?
Oh no, that was part of the ‘special revelation’ Jesus gave only to Paul.
According to Peter, the word of the Lord is eternal:
1 Peter 1:24-25 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ think Paul had the corner on the word of the Lord.
But he didn’t.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
Friday, June 11, 2010
What's LOVE Got To Do With It?
According to the scriptures, it all hangs on love.
A scribe was a man learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred wirtings, an interpreter, a teacher. Scribes examined difficult and subtle questions of the law, and were enrolled in the Sanhedrin, being mentioned in connection with the priests and elders. A scribe questioned the Master about the first commandment. Jesus answered with both the first and second commandments .... both about love .... first for God; second for others:
Mark 12:28-34 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth:
for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him,
Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.
And no man after that durst ask him any question.
All the law and the prophets are summed up and suspended upon just two commandments:
Matt 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ don’t like for Paul to mention the law in a ‘working’ manner .... yet he did. 'Mid-Acts-ers' need to look at what Paul said about 'US .... fulfilling the law'. The law hangs on love:
Rom 13:8-10 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another:
for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour:
therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Being free from the law does not mean that we disregard it. The law hangs on love:
Gal 5:13-14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
John understood this issue, too. Believers in Christ love each other:
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
This is what Paul said that GOD teaches:
1 Thess 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
We love God, and we love others. That is not a problem for believers:
1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments:
and his commandments are not grievous.
Our heart will not condemn us and we will have confidence toward God (1 John 3:20-21) and not be ashamed before Him at His coming (1 John 2:28).
We will not feel guilty when we live and love like this:
Rom 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
What's LOVE got to do with it? LOVE has everything to do with it!
Read Luke 10:25-37 about a certain Samaritan, who had mercy on a man who fell among the thieves that robbed him, stripped him of his clothes, wounded him, and left him half dead.
Love God and love your neighbor. Hang on to love!
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
A scribe was a man learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred wirtings, an interpreter, a teacher. Scribes examined difficult and subtle questions of the law, and were enrolled in the Sanhedrin, being mentioned in connection with the priests and elders. A scribe questioned the Master about the first commandment. Jesus answered with both the first and second commandments .... both about love .... first for God; second for others:
Mark 12:28-34 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth:
for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him,
Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.
And no man after that durst ask him any question.
All the law and the prophets are summed up and suspended upon just two commandments:
Matt 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ don’t like for Paul to mention the law in a ‘working’ manner .... yet he did. 'Mid-Acts-ers' need to look at what Paul said about 'US .... fulfilling the law'. The law hangs on love:
Rom 13:8-10 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another:
for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour:
therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Being free from the law does not mean that we disregard it. The law hangs on love:
Gal 5:13-14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
John understood this issue, too. Believers in Christ love each other:
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
This is what Paul said that GOD teaches:
1 Thess 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
We love God, and we love others. That is not a problem for believers:
1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments:
and his commandments are not grievous.
Our heart will not condemn us and we will have confidence toward God (1 John 3:20-21) and not be ashamed before Him at His coming (1 John 2:28).
We will not feel guilty when we live and love like this:
Rom 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
What's LOVE got to do with it? LOVE has everything to do with it!
Read Luke 10:25-37 about a certain Samaritan, who had mercy on a man who fell among the thieves that robbed him, stripped him of his clothes, wounded him, and left him half dead.
Love God and love your neighbor. Hang on to love!
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Like Us .... Like Him
Jesus the Messiah, the Christ (John 1:41, 4:25) .... came to the earth as flesh, like us .... and lived with us:
John 1:14 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.
Jesus was partaker of flesh and blood, like us. He was made like us:
Heb 2:14-18 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (to help, to bring aid) them that are tempted.
Jesus understands our weaknesses and temptations .... but when He experienced them (also see 2 Cor 13:4) like us, He never yeilded to them:
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
God designed for His Son to have a body like us, and die for us. By His death, to sanctify us (also see Rom 8:15-16; 1 Cor 6:11; Heb 2:11, 13:12), He dissolved the old testament, and set up the new testament, of which we are able ministers (2 Cor 3:6):
Heb 10:5-10 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Jesus came into the world through a virgin woman ....
to deliver out from the old covenant and bring in the new covenant:
Gal 4:4-5 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Jesus became like us as a servant to others. He willingly laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16), and endured shameful crucifixion (Heb 12:2):
Phil 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus became like us .... so that when He appears from heaven .... we will be changed (1 Cor 15:51-54) and glorified (Rom 8:17,30; 2 Thess 1:10-12) .... like Him:
Phil 3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
John said basically the same thing as Paul said (John 1:12; Rom 8:14, 19; Phil 2:15-16; Gal 4:6):
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ refuse to see the continunity between Paul and John .... but we just read verses where they describe the same event. The saints will receive glorified bodies .... of flesh and bones .... like Jesus had after He was risen from the dead:
Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
How gracious! He became like us .... that we may become like Him:
2 Cor 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
"Oh! To be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer!"
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
John 1:14 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.
Jesus was partaker of flesh and blood, like us. He was made like us:
Heb 2:14-18 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour (to help, to bring aid) them that are tempted.
Jesus understands our weaknesses and temptations .... but when He experienced them (also see 2 Cor 13:4) like us, He never yeilded to them:
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
God designed for His Son to have a body like us, and die for us. By His death, to sanctify us (also see Rom 8:15-16; 1 Cor 6:11; Heb 2:11, 13:12), He dissolved the old testament, and set up the new testament, of which we are able ministers (2 Cor 3:6):
Heb 10:5-10 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Jesus came into the world through a virgin woman ....
to deliver out from the old covenant and bring in the new covenant:
Gal 4:4-5 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Jesus became like us as a servant to others. He willingly laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16), and endured shameful crucifixion (Heb 12:2):
Phil 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus became like us .... so that when He appears from heaven .... we will be changed (1 Cor 15:51-54) and glorified (Rom 8:17,30; 2 Thess 1:10-12) .... like Him:
Phil 3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
John said basically the same thing as Paul said (John 1:12; Rom 8:14, 19; Phil 2:15-16; Gal 4:6):
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
‘Mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalists’ refuse to see the continunity between Paul and John .... but we just read verses where they describe the same event. The saints will receive glorified bodies .... of flesh and bones .... like Jesus had after He was risen from the dead:
Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
How gracious! He became like us .... that we may become like Him:
2 Cor 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
"Oh! To be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer!"
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
.
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