What is Righteousness??

Righteousness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia8p-rWUNgs?R

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p4OrSEPGvI


The righteousness of which I speak is not attained by humanistic efforts and values. It transcends human wisdom, and points to a higher plane of existence. Being righteous means to follow the right path, and that path is ordained and ordered by the Creator of the Universe. That righteousness is in Jesus the Christ (Yeshua the Messiah).


The writer of the second chapter of Proverbs connects wisdom and righteousness. The wise person practices righteousness, and follows God.

The Value of Wisdom

Prov 2:1 My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.

16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden[a] woman,
from the adulteress[b] with her smooth words,
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed;[c]
19 none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.

20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

But the foolish person does not believe in God. The unbeliever goes about trying to establish his/her/their own standards of righteousness. They may turn to Hinduism, Buddhism, Paganism, and other isms to explore and find something that they agree with in their own understanding, so that their inner desires become the master of their life principles. They learn to do what they want to do based upon their feelings. But the way that seems right to them will be the way to destruction. When will we ever learn?? When will we ever learn!

Psalm 53 English Standard Version (ESV)
There Is None Who Does Good
To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil[a] of David.

53:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
there is none who does good.

2 God looks down from heaven
on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,[b]
who seek after God.

3 They have all fallen away;
together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.

4 Have those who work evil no knowledge,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?

5 There they are, in great terror,
where there is no terror!
For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Because mankind in our human nature rejects truth and our creator, we need mercy and pardon. We cannot earn our righteousness because of our self centered feeling ruled nature. So our Creator provided a way for us through a man who shared our same nature, but He never gave in to His feelings. He walked the path of righteousness for us, and offers us righteousness in Him.

Psalm 32 English Standard Version (ESV)
Blessed Are the Forgiven
A Maskil[a] of David.

32:1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!


The righteousness of God demands the penalty of death for sin. But in His love He provided the One to die in our place. Jesus bore our sins on the cross. The blood that poured from the thorns on his head, and from the wounds on his back, and from the spear thrust in His side, offers forgiveness and perfect righteousness to all who will believe in Jesus and truly determine to follow Him. But each person must decide if they will love and follow Him.


Peter, powered by the Holy Spirit, explains simply how this must be in the sermon on Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus.

Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus,[c]delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 

40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Apostle Paul put his confidence in being faithful in Jesus, and looked forward to receiving the reward of eternal life with God, his resurrection and glorification.

Philippians 3:9 “And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.” .

2 Timothy 4:7-8. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”   

What about you.   Are you looking forward to seeing Jesus on Judgment day?  Let me know if you want to talk.

Randolph Gonce
276 County Road 56
Stevenson, AL 35772
256 437 2687

  

Is Pete a believer?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Buttigieg#Abortion

Jesus will decide who is a believer, and reward all those who trust in Him.  We are saved by grace through faith, not by being perfect.  

However, is it not a bit strange for the Democrats to be frothing at the mouth about Trump's morality, while they applaud something the Bible clearly condemns?

Those who support homosexual marriage have clearly decided to move beyond Biblical moral standards.  They do it by claims to human sexuality being determined by feelings and hormones, instead of the standard of male or female based upon physical sexual development.

Sure, there are some people who are born sexually indeterminate.  There is a group in India, the Hijra, 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia), 
who claim as their community all who are born indeterminate, and males who have been castrated. 

They dress as women, practice sexual immorality, and are very aggressive beggars.  We are blessed to have taught and encouraged a community from the Hijra to become believers in Jesus in the great city of Mumbai, India.  These believers stop practicing sexual immorality, and learn to live productive lives. 

The Bible teaches sexual abstinence for all except man married to woman.  We (believers) are not to be led by feelings, nor by popular opinions, but by Bible teaching we believe has been given us by the Power of YHWH, by the Holy Spirit who inspired the writings of the scriptures accepted by first century believers as being inspired. 

This understanding produces a clear divide between those who believe that the Scriptures in the original languages were given by God and are our guide for today's moral teaching, and those who discount the authenticity and authority of the Bible. 

We (who believe the Bible) refuse to compromise moral instruction clearly revealed in the Bible. The rejection of the practice of homosexuality is clearly established in scripture.  Beginning with Lot at Sodom and Gomorrah, continuing with the story of the man and his concubine, and clear teaching by Apostle Paul in his letters to believers, the practice of homosexual intercourse is condemned. 

Gibeah's Crime Judges 18

Judges 18:22 As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they said to the old man, the master of the house, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.”

The history of homosexual practice as part of pagan worship is well established, and contributed to the corruption of Greek and Roman society.  

From the beginning, the Creator intended for man and woman to join together in a union that would produce righteous offspring, so that the family becomes the foundation of useful society.  

Adam's Descendants to Noah

Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man[a] when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief[d] from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.

32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

After the flood, there is a sexual immorality problem with Ham, son of Noah.  From the language used, it is likely that Ham sexually assaulted his drunk father.  

Gen 9:20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.[c] 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed be Canaan;
a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

The Law of Moses condemned homosexual intercourse. 

Lev 18:20 And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her. 21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them[b] to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. 22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. 23 And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion.

Apostle Paul made it very clear in his letters that homosexual intercourse is not to be practiced by believers who are actually following Jesus.  

God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Paul instructed believers at Corinth to avoid sexual immorality, specifically mentioning men who practice homosexuality. 

1 Cor 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous[b] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,[c] 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

So Pete claims to be a Christian, and openly practices homosexual marriage.  And he won the Iowa caucuses for Democratic candidate for President of the USA. 

Yet radical Democrats take pleasure in attacking Evangelical Christians who support Donald Trump, because Trump is rude, crude, and unattractive.  Yes, Trump has moral baggage, but at least he is married to a woman.  And he is against killing babies. 

Time for a wake up call.  Whose side are you on???  The choice is between respect for God's moral laws given through the Bible, and respected by true believers as God's Word, or humanity's support of feel good society which rejects God's authority and pushes the political correct agenda, while promoting abortion and killing of babies.  

Is it "He's impeached forever" or "I have been acquitted!"

Surely it is time to do some more  things that are useful to society.  

Let's bury hatred and give life to good will.  Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any  people. 

We are in a battle  

https://rgonce.blogspot.com/2012/12/from-peaceful-visa-of-front-porch-of.html

Democracy and personal liberty

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

My grandmother Nancy Wynne Gonce owned 249 acre farm in Little Crow Creek Valley.  My father, Ollie A. Gonce, farmed that land on share crop rental when I was growing up.  Later he purchased the land from his siblings, and even later it was owned by me and my brother Terrill.  

During the farm crisis of the 1980's, thanks to Jimmy Carter, we had a foreclosure sale of the farm at the Jackson County Court House, and my sister Wenda and Ron Lovelace purchased the part of the farm that included most of the home place.  

My wife Linda retained ownership of our house place and the old home place because they were on separate mortgages, and we owed more than the market value on each place. 

Yesterday, while visiting with Randy Summers in Sinking Cove, he pointed out "Ol' Randolph", the ancient John Deere tractor that he purchased with permission from Bunn Lovelady when we were doing the voluntary liquidation of Gonce Brother's Farm. 

1981 I began mission work in India.  Bunn Lovelady told me several times that I needed to stay home and take care of the farming operation.  Common sense would say so, but I was under what I believed was a higher calling.  Charles Scott had invited Lyle Starnes to travel with him to India, 1980, and Lyle was working with me in the Gonce Brother's Farm Drainage business at the time.  I paid Lyle's regular salary while he was gone to India. 

We planned to go to India together in 1981, but Lyle was hindered from making the trip, and I went on alone until meeting Ken Shoop in New York where our flight to India had been delayed. 

https://rgonce.blogspot.com/2017/05/mixed-bag.html

Our voluntary liquidation of Gonce Brother's Farm assets was in 1985, or thereabouts.  But I digress.  I want to talk about democracy and personal liberty. 

My life has been about personal faith, personal decisions, and the liberty that has been provided in our nation.  Liberty to make personal decisions, and to fail and to succeed.

Growing up as son of a tenant farmer,
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenant_farmer
I have never suffered from white guilt. In fact, I have enjoyed reverse discrimination as youth in Ghana called me Obruni (white man).  The work I did as a youngster, hoeing weeds with crook necked hoe, picking cotton, plowing with mules, gathering ear corn by hand, and so forth, were the same work that slaves did. 

And many former slaves chose to work as sharecroppers after their release from slavery.  But the call of the north was strong, and many moved to the big cities.  For many, this move resulted in dependency on government for survival. Dependency on government is a great killer of personal freedom.  One big problem with Democratic Socialism is that mankind does a very poor job of managing things.  Personal liberty requires the freedom to fail as well as succeed.  The Bible calls it sowing and reaping.  When we do well we will be blessed, and when we do ill we will be cursed. 

History is replete with examples of the fact that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. What is a nation?  Why do we have nations?

A nation is a community of people who have some common heritage, with recognized territory boundary and laws.  Their heritage accumulates the choices made by people over generations.. The Bible says that God visits the sins of the fathers upon the offspring to the third or fourth generation.  


Exodus 34:6-8 English Standard Version (ESV)

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands,[a] forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

The modern move to end national boundaries is a reflection of the liberal belief that mankind should be free to do as he/she/it pleases.  The post Christian agnostic/atheistic society does not believe in personal responsibility, but rather promotes feel good irresponsibility.  They do not want law and order, but prefer a system that supplies needs without regard to work or personal accountability.  They are promoting mob rule with selfish motives.  

Apostle Paul suggested the need for individual accountability within the community.  

Warning Against Idleness

2 Thes 3:6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.[d]

But we do not have and do not want a state controlled "Christian" community.  We have been there and done that in Europe during the time of the so called "Holy Roman Empire".

When the nation of immigrants were gathering in what is now the United States of America, great effort was given to head off the establishment of state controlled religion.  They did not want either Roman Catholic or Anglican bishops controlling things in the new settlements.  Yes, the Puritans were making things hard for the Baptists and Quakers.  So the founding fathers adopted the separation clause, that the state is not to establish any religious institution.  And we have reaped the benefit of that for many generations, not just 3 or 4.  

That rule is enforced within our territorial boundaries.  Outside there are Roman Catholic nations, Islamic nations, Hindu nations, and so forth.  Our nation has laws that reflect our Bible heritage.  These laws in support of Biblical morality are a blessing.  

But the modern post Christian movement wants to move beyond Biblical moral law to progressive  principles derived from privileged paranormal paradigm.  And right in the middle of that muddle is the longing to rob the rich and give to the mob.  French Revolution revisited.  USSR, Cuba, and China.  Hiding under our desks in classrooms in the fifties, for Nuclear War drill.   Digging underground shelters for protection from Nuclear Bomb blasts. More than 100 million lives squandered in one century.

But Bernie loves democratic socialism, and our young folks like Bernie.  Forgive your debts, free education, free medical care, and do not listen to the old folks who lived through the fifties.  We are just not enlightened about how it is up to humans to save ourselves.  

No need for a savior in a world that can save itself. No need for God in a culture that mocks Him.  And all our blessings are going down the drain if we do not honor our Maker.  

Yes, righteousness exalts a nation, and sin is a reproach to any people.  The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus, for all who believe. 

Yes, salvation is a gift purchased by the blood of Jesus at Calvary.  But that gift is given to and received by those who seek it.  It is not given to those who refuse personal responsibility.  As Jesus said, 

The Final Judgment

Matt 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[f] you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Waiting for the Rapture??

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

The topic Rapture came up during a discussion with a Jewish friend about the evidence of history.  He told me "Wait for the Rapture, then come back and tell me about it."

The teaching of the pre-tribulation Rapture is part of the doctrine of Premillennialism.

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

But the reign of Jesus in His Kingdom was announced by Him personally on Mount Herman when Jesus gave the great commission to his disciples, 

The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

All authority in heaven and on earth! His reign is established, and He will send the Holy Spirit to help get things going on the day of Pentecost, at Jerusalem. 

Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus,[c] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,


“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,


“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

That day about three thousand were born again into the Kingdom of Messiah.  Shortly there were more than ten thousand disciples of Yeshua, encouraging each other daily in Jerusalem.

But most of the Jews were looking for a different kind of Messiah.  They expected Him to be more like David, and lead the warriors of Israel to overthrow the Roman dominion.  

Jesus taught them to love their enemies, and to turn the other cheek.  This did not suit the Zealots at all.  So they rebelled against Rome, and the Temple was destroyed in AD 70.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(70_CE)#Destruction_of_Jerusalem

The conflict with Rome continued until 132 CE, when the Zealots thought they had found their militant Messiah in Bar Kokhba. This final Jewish Roman war lasted until 136 CE and resulted in Rome's final solution, changing the name of the province and expelling Jews from the region.

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

But Daniel had prophesied that Messiah's Kingdom would be set up in the days of the Roman Kings, and that this Kingdom would break into pieces and destroy the existing world kingdoms.

Daniel 2:36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage,[c] but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

So the Kingdom was set up on schedule, during the reign of the Roman Kings, Augustus being the first Emperor, reigning at the time of Jesus' birth.

The conflict between the kingdoms of the earth, and the Kingdom of God, was set in motion, and worked out over time. The temporary kingdoms against the Eternal Kingdom.  But humankind played an important role. The Eternal Kingdom can only be entered by faith in the sacrificial offering of Yeshua, the Son of YHWH.  Believers are built up into a temple for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

But humans always want to do things the human way.  We want to be in charge.  Soon the Great Apostasy was under way, with the Bishops of large cities using their positions to exercise power and collect money.  Rome surpassed them all, and the great harlot became mother to the Holy Roman Empire. 

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

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

But Jesus had promised  that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Kingdom.  From the day of Pentecost until today, there have been faithful believers who followed Jesus and His teaching.  They were always persecuted by the kingdoms of the world.  To find them, search the pages of history and see who it was that proclaimed personal faith in Jesus Christ, believer baptism, and organization of believers in local communities.  The true believers refused to submit their personal faith to the world powers who demanded obedience to the rulers of this world.  These stalwarts of personal faith are the trace of the Kingdom which never passed away, and which is being developed in our own time.

America became a launching pad for restoring first century believer community.  People were sick of all the religious fighting in Europe, and wanted personal freedom. But it is a difficult journey.  

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

How do we restore first century believer community?  Perhaps going back to Jerusalem will help us better understand what that community is.  Jerusalem sets the context for Jesus and His teaching.  Time to go back to the beginning. 

What did Jesus teach about His second coming?  He said His Kingdom is not of this world. 

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

John 18:33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Jesus is coming back for resurrection and judgement.  Apostle Paul wrote about this in 1 Cor 15.

1 Cor 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God[c] has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

Christ is reigning, and will continue His reign until He destroys every rule and every authority and power of this world.

When Christ comes back, we will be caught up to meet Him in the air.  He has gone to prepare a place for us, and will come again to take us home with Him.  

The Coming of the Lord

1 Thes 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[d] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

When is Jesus coming back?  After the lies of this world have been defeated.  There is still work to do.  It is a battle.

How do we smell?

2 Cor 2:14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Believers are being accused, by liberals, of being unkind for teaching that salvation is only in Jesus Christ. They, the purveyors of universal human based righteousness, are convinced that the way forward is to rob the rich as to this world, and to share it with the disadvantaged.  And they seek to add to their clout by bringing more votes to their side by appealing to selfishness..

These liberals teach that a loving God will not punish people.  But both history and the Bible teach otherwise. The Bible teaches that righteousness exalts a nation, and that sin is a reproach to any people. 

And Jesus (Yeshua) said that He is the way to Eternal Life.

John 14 English Standard Version (ESV)
I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life
14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”[c] 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.[d] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

When we share a message about salvation in Jesus Christ, we must first teach about sin and failure on our part that required the bloody sacrifice of Jesus.  Until a person understands that they have separated themselves from God by their own sins, they see no need for a savior.  

And if we can be righteous by our own doing, we have no need of a savior.  If there are many ways to God, and we can choose from many ways, we have no need of Jesus.

And believers are not being arrogant when we insist that salvation is only in Jesus.  We are humbly admitting that we cannot save ourselves, but we need Jesus.

Yes, we believers in Jesus are accused of believing fairy tales by the secular elites. They, the secular elites, choose false science and feelings to attack what the Bible teaches about human sexuality.  

Yes, those of us who believe the Bible teaches instruction from God, are ridiculed as being hopelessly old fashioned and uninformed.  Our calls for personal responsibility are called unloving.  If we really loved poor people, we would join the rush to rob the rich and distribute to the poor, the liberals say.

But Jesus and the Bible teach voluntary sharing by individuals. Handing over personal responsibility to the government causes unbelievable confusion and corruption. John F. Kennedy nailed it with his challenge,  “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,”.

Socialism and communism fail because of human weakness, human sinfulness.  The wages of sin is death.  Death and destruction are coming upon people because of their missing the mark of righteousness in Jesus.  More than 100 million died last century because of socialism and communism.  When will we ever learn?

Believers are not acting arrogantly by insisting that all need to come to Jesus.  This is the only way to God, as proven by the teaching of the Bible and the evidence of history.  The prophets of the Bible have proven true. 

Unitarianism is a popular idea, but it simply is not true, and those who profess it are putting themselves against the teaching of the Bible.  https://www.uua.org/

If I smell bad to you, maybe it is because of the tilt of your nose.  I smell good to believers. John 3:16

Hope comes by giving

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bWjb_6MzwY

Hope is expecting good news for the future.  Hope is limited by our inabilities, and enabled by our Creator's unlimited power.  When we trust in ourselves, we become hopeless, as witnessed in our current younger generations, those who have been taught to trust in themselves. Hope comes from giving up self to serve a loving God.  Hope comes from giving up temporary things in pursuit of eternal values. 

Jim Elliot, who died carrying the gospel to remote people in Ecuador, said this:  "He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot loose!"

Jim was speaking of temporary life compared with our hope of being God's glorified children for eternity. 

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/he-ws-no-fool/

Jesus explained the importance of an eternal perspective, and his words are recorded in three of the Gospels. 

Matthew 16:26 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

26 For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?

Mark 8:36 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?

Luke 9:25 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

25 For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?

King David collected treasures and offerings for the purpose of building a Temple in Jerusalem to honor the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Creator of the Universe.  His prayer acknowledges that God gives all that we have.  God has given to us whatever it is that we are able to give to others.  

David’s Prayer

1 Chron 29:10 Then David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said,

May you be blessed, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. 11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all. 12 Riches and honor come from you, and you are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name.

14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your own hand.[j] 15 For we are aliens and temporary residents in your presence as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this wealth that we’ve provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand; everything belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and that you are pleased with what is right. I have willingly given all these things with an upright heart, and now I have seen your people who are present[k] here giving joyfully and[l] willingly to you. 18 Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep this desire forever in the thoughts of the hearts of your people, and confirm their hearts toward you. 19 Give my son Solomon an undivided heart to keep and to carry out all your commands, your decrees, and your statutes, and to build the building for which I have made provision.

The temple at Jerusalem was a temporary thing, but a type of God's temple which is His plan for today, the house built up of all believers who are living stones in His temple, bound together by love. Yes, we are built into a holy temple for His dwelling in the Spirit. That is our hope.

Ephesians 2 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
From Death to Life

2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.[a] 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,[b] 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
Unity in Christ

11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. 12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, 15 he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death.[c] 17 He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

Built together for God's dwelling in the Spirit!!  God's spirit in us gives us the hope of eternal glory.  How do we know we have God's Spirit in us?

We take God at His word.  He has promised.  He gave His son.  He has promised that whosoever will may come to Him in faith, believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and repenting of our sins. Then submitting to the simple command of Jesus and the Apostles to be immersed in water in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; in the name of Jesus. Believer baptism.  Raised to walk in newness of life,  in Jesus.

But how do we know God has given us His Spirit?  Because He promised, and because we love each other.  Jesus said that people will know we are His disciples because we love each other. And the Apostle John told us how we can have confidence.  

Knowing God through Love

1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us[b] in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice[c] for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in[d] us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God. 16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 17 In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment.[e] So the one who fears is not complete in love. 19 We love[f] because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.[g] 21 And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.

But love should not be confused with permissiveness.  Love involves sacrifice for the good of all.  Love requires respect for what is good and righteous.  There is more to consider than food, clothing, and health care. The eternal is of more value than the temporary.  Personal responsibility is part of a loving environment, and enabling destructive practices does not demonstrate love. 

Ephesians 4 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ

4 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope[a] at your calling— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 For it says:

When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.[b]

9 But what does “he ascended” mean except that he[c] also descended to the lower parts of the earth?[d] 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. 11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Living the New Life

17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their thoughts. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because[e] of the hardness of their hearts. 19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.[f]

20 But that is not how you came to know Christ, 21 assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to take off[g] your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed[h] in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on[i] the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

25 Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor,[j] because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin.[k] Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don’t give the devil an opportunity. 28 Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. 29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need,[l] so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him[m] for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you[n] in Christ.

Therefore, encouraging each other to live fruitful and useful lives is part of encouraging each other.  Speaking the truth in love still involves speaking the truth.  The truth is a powerful thing. Truth includes the evidence of God's working through history.  And Truth is a person; Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  The true way to peace and love is in Him.

Romans 5 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Faith Triumphs

5 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace[a] with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice[c] in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Those Declared Righteous Are Reconciled

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.

Yes, we will be saved by His life.  He gave His life for us, so that we may live in Him.  From faith to faith.  He gave Himself so that we may give ourselves to Him, for our eternal glory. That is our hope.


Matthew 11:28-30 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”