The Battle

Yeshua is Lord

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Glorification

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96kAy6tUCvk



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The Ascension

From Groans to Glory

Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves,eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.


Paul speaks of our glorification as if it is already accomplished, and it is in the purpose and plan of God. All who are faithful until death will receive the crown of life, reserved in heaven for us. As surely as we are faithful in Jesus, we will receive the glory God has prepared for us.

Even as we continue to face struggles in this life, the surety of our promised hope for eternal glory has been purchased by the blood of Jesus.

2 Cor 4:16 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Paul explained the transition from mortal to immortality, from temporal to eternal, in his letter to the Corinthians. 

Victorious Resurrection

1 Cor 15:50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
55 Where, death, is your victory?
Where, death, is your sting?

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Yes, Jesus gives all those who believe in Him eternal life.  He is the bread of life.  

John 6:35 “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again. 36 But as I told you, you’ve seen me, and yet you do not believe.37 Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise them up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

41 Therefore the Jews started complaining about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

43 Jesus answered them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: And they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God. He has seen the Father.

47 “Truly I tell you, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 At that, the Jews argued among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day, 55 because my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna your ancestors ate—and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”

Paul received instruction from Jesus about the Lord's supper, where believers partake of the bread representing Jesus' body, and the fruit of the vine representing Jesus' blood. He has promised eternal life to those who partake.

1 Cor 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.


Yes, we have a special connection with Jesus and His eternal glory in partaking of the Lord's supper. We look back to the cross where He gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins, and look forward to resurrection day, when we will be raised to share His eternal glory. What a day that will be!

Image result for judgement day resurrection


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycz4s2xwDhc







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Thursday, January 10, 2019

Apostasy on Baptism


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBcO-uoaFeY&t=0s&list=PLPhb5GPf3Rfc944An2iDh_kTHkrKhoCED&index=38

Image result for infant baptism

This is not Believer Baptism

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1540-history-of-the-baptism-apostasy-a

Jesus taught that little children are not sinners.  Greek philosophers like Augustine, with pagan concepts about body and spirit, taught that children are born sinners, inheriting the sin of Adam. From that perspective, the need to baptize infants was developed, and confused with the requirement for circumcision of male infants at eight days of age under the Law of Moses. 

Jesus invited children to come to Him, with these words,

Mat 19:13 Then children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 After placing his hands on them, he went on from there.


Previously Jesus said this about children, 

Matt 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “So who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a child and had him stand among them. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.

This does not sound like Jesus considered children to be sinners.  In scripture we find that faith is essential to one coming to Jesus.  Understanding of the message about Jesus produces faith.  One too young to understand the message cannot have faith, and cannot obey the message. 

So why were children ever baptized? Apostasy!  Falling away. Teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.  False theology based upon a wrong understanding of creation and the nature of Adam and Eve.  Adam and Eve were created subject to sin in order that God's love could be demonstrated through the cross. 

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves,eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.

But some theologians got the idea that sin is inherited, that babies are born contaminated by the sin of Adam.  So infant baptism was begun to cover the sins of Adam.  And the rulers in the church-state combines found ways to collect money from parents through the institution of infant baptism. 

But baptism is for believers.  This is what Jesus said:


The Great Commission

Mark 16:14 Later he appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he had risen. 15 Then he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.



As Paul said:

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God

1 Cor 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. 19 For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. 22 For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. 24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Later in this same letter Paul explains: 

Resurrection Essential to the Gospel

1 Cor15:1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.

The gospel on which you have taken your stand! Believer baptism.  

Infants cannot take a stand, they cannot have faith.  Those who performed infant baptisms persecuted those who taught believer baptism.. The Pope apologized in 2015.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2015/july/pope-apologizes-to-first-evangelicals-for-persecution.html



Pope Apologizes to 'First Evangelicals' for Persecution
ReplyForward
Have you taken your stand through faith in Jesus Christ being the Son of God, the Messiah, savior of all who put their trust in Him? 

Have you been immersed as a believer?

Please contact me if you would like to discuss. 



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Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Eternal Community


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDkHNYSdYBg

Image result for Adventist baptism PNG


Believers in Papau New Guinea

The Kingdom of God is an eternal community, a people who follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This community is for all people who have faith in Jesus as Messiah, who are willing to repent of their sins and be baptized into the community, as commanded by Jesus, Acts 2:38.

God adds all who have obedient faith in Jesus to the number of His people, Jer 31. 

The New Covenant

31 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”—the Lord’s declaration. 33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.



Jesus said that His kingdom is different, not like the global powers which preceded His coming. Daniel had a vision of the world kingdoms which preceded Jesus.


Dan 2:31 “Your Majesty, as you were watching, suddenly a colossal statue appeared. That statue, tall and dazzling, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying. 32 The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its stomach and thighs were bronze, 33 its legs were iron, and its feet were partly iron and partly fired clay. 34 As you were watching, a stone broke off without a hand touching it, struck the statue on its feet of iron and fired clay, and crushed them.35 Then the iron, the fired clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were shattered and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

36 “This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 Your Majesty, you are king of kings. The God of the heavens has given you sovereignty, power, strength, and glory. 38 Wherever people live—or wild animals, or birds of the sky—he has handed them over to you and made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.

39 “After you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours, and then another, a third kingdom, of bronze, which will rule the whole earth. 40 A fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron; for iron crushes and shatters everything, and like iron that smashes, it will crush and smash all the others. 41 You saw the feet and toes, partly of a potter’s fired clay and partly of iron—it will be a divided kingdom, though some of the strength of iron will be in it. You saw the iron mixed with clay, 42 and that the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly fired clay—part of the kingdom will be strong, and part will be brittle. 43 You saw the iron mixed with clay—the peoples will mix with one another but will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with fired clay.

44 “In the days of those kings, the God of the heavens will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever. 45 You saw a stone break off from the mountain without a hand touching it,[k] and it crushed the iron, bronze, fired clay, silver, and gold. The great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is certain, and its interpretation reliable.”

The fourth kingdom, the Roman Empire, ruled from the British Isles to Persia. It was a global power, and did much to establish the rule of law in its territories. It established transportation and trade, and enabled human achievements. But it was a pagan society, and its worship of idols doomed it to failure. It presided over the execution of Jesus. listening to those who cried out "Crucify him, crucify him!"

Roman soldiers were set to guard the tomb where Jesus was buried, but they could not stop the resurrection.  Jesus came forth from the tomb, and during the next forty days appeared to many witnesses, before ascending to His throne from the Mount of Olives. 

Image result for Jesus empty tomb


The Empty Tomb

Wrong expectations about the Kingdom of Messiah caused many of the Jews to refuse to believe in Jesus. The Zealots were looking for a Messiah who would lead them in revolt against the Romans, so when Bar Kokhba came along claiming to be the Messiah, they followed him against the Romans, and were annihilated in AD 135.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_Kokhba_revolt

But Jesus had clearly taught that His Kingdom is different, not like the world empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.  His Kingdom has headquarters in Heaven, where Jesus, seated on the throne of David, has all power in Heaven and on earth.  

Jesus explained the nature of the Kingdom to Pilate, during the hearing before Jesus' crucifixion.

John 18:33 Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

34 Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?”

35 “I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked.

“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice
.”

Apostle John, exiled to the Island of Patmos, proclaimed the authority of Jesus over the kings of the earth.

Rev 1:4 John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Yes, believers are a kingdom of priests, under our High Priest Jesus. We do not need any clergy to intercede for us, because we are made clean by the  blood of Jesus.  And we can all offer up prayers and praises to God, knowing He hears us  because of Jesus.  

No, Rome is not the Eternal City..  Like Abraham, we look for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  John saw that city coming down.

The New Creation

Rev 21:21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. 7 The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8 But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Related image

Burning Unfruitful Vines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjauTr34Viw&list=PL6dW7kz1nJbQ3BlG4pNAtzRMTzbs8UPah&t=0s&index=30


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66AFGwKBiyw 
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rgonce
Jesus is my passion, and family is a joy. God's family is really a wonder, and I enjoy getting acquainted with siblings all over the world.
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