The Sabbath Commandment Needs To Be Kept.

A person needs to keep the Sabbath commandment just as he keeps all the other commandments.  You really need to reread the New Testament, again, if you think differently.  

The Sabbath Commandment was never abolished and it remains the same day of the week as the Old Testament identifies it.

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.  (Genesis 2:1-3).

It clearly identifies the seventh day of the week, not the first day.  If you think otherwise, you are only fooling yourself, and ultimately God will hold you accountable.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 says:

"And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all good works." 

This scripture makes it very clear that "...All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine...".  It does not say that only some scripture is profitable for doctrine, or that only the New Testament Scripture is profitable for doctrine and the rest can be ignored or done away with.  It clearly says "...all scripture...".

If that is what this says and you believe the simple truth that the Bible does not contradict itself, then why do people religiously follow only nine of the Ten Commandments.  

Why do the majority of the Christians in today's world have no trouble with the sixth commandment, "You shall not murder.".  Or let someone in your church find out that you are breaking the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery".  Violating that one would surely get you thrown out of your church!

If all the rest of these commandments are clear to most every Christian, why is there so much confusion when it comes to the fourth commandment.

The Holy Bible, tells us what we need to know about life's purpose, why we are here and where we are going from hear.  But the Bible even tells us more than that.  It tells us how we are supposed to live our lives.  

Deuteronomy 5:33 says, " You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess."  

The scripture is clear that we are to follow God's commands, all of His commands.  Scripture , no where in the Bible, allow anyone to pick and choose what commands they want or need to follow.  Again 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness...".

When the argument of the fourth commandment arises, most Christians will then change the argument from whether it should be kept to on what day it should be kept.  The Bible is clear on this one too.

"The Fourth Commandment states: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work . . .” (Exodus 20:8-10)

"God commanded that the seventh day be observed as the Sabbath. A glance at almost any dictionary, encyclopedia or calendar will show you that Saturday is the seventh day of the week, while Sunday is the first day of the week. According to God’s calendar, the seventh day is—and always has been—the Sabbath day. Although man has modified calendars through the centuries, the seven-day weekly cycle has remained intact throughout history. 

"The days of the week have always remained in their proper order, with Sunday as the first day of the week and Saturday as the seventh. Time has not been lost in this regard, as some assert. “The oracles of God”—His divine words and instructions—were entrusted to the Jewish people (Romans 3:1-2), and they have preserved the knowledge of the seventh-day Sabbath faithfully since well before Christ’s time to this day. 

"Jesus repeatedly confirmed that the day the Jews observed as the Sabbath in His day was indeed the Sabbath. And since then the Jewish people, even scattered in many nations and in different sects, have all preserved the same day.

Moreover, the mainstream Christian churches, though rejecting the Sabbath, indirectly confirm when it is by maintaining their early tradition of worshiping on Sunday, which they acknowledge to be the first day of the week. Obviously that makes the previous day the seventh—the biblical Sabbath. 

"...James Cardinal Gibbons, Catholic educator and archbishop of Baltimore at the turn of the 20th century, was blunt about the change: “You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify....

"...He admitted that Sunday observance is nowhere authorized in the Bible and that the seventh day is the only day sanctified by the Scriptures. His justification for changing the day of rest and worship assumes that authority exists apart from the Bible..."  (Sunset to Sunset: God’s Sabbath Rest, Which Day Is the Sabbath?, pg. 10, United Church of God, copyright 2003).

The fact is, as confirmed by James Cardinal Gibbons, the change to Sunday, the first day of the week can be found nowhere in the Bible, so it is obvious that it was made after the New testament was written.

There is simply no Biblical authority for the change of the Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh day of the week, to Sunday, the first day of the week.

If you are not observing Saturday as the Sabbath then you are breaking one of Gods commandments.

The Bible clearly states in James 2:10, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."  

Think about it!

 

CAN YOU SEE OR ARE YOU AS BLIND AS THIS MAN?

A MAN BORN BLIND RECEIVES SIGHT.

John 9:12-31 King James Version (KJV)

12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.

13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.

14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.

In this passage, the man was blind from birth, he was also a beggar who had the routine of waiting by the gates of the temple for gifts from the worshipers.

In those days it was commonly thought that a sickness was a result of sin and that if the parents committed a sin, it was transferred to the child of those parents.  But Jesus rejected this idea.

In this particular situation, God allowed the man to be born blind so that Jesus could heal him and reveal the works of God through the man Jesus Christ so that people would know His healing power.

Back in those days, mixing saliva with clay was a common practice used for eye infections.  Jesus used this opportunity to show the man exercising  his faith in Jesus Christ.

The apostle John emphasized that the name of Siloam meant sent. So, the man "went and washed and came back seeing". 

The crowd in the area, including this man's own parents knew who this man was and they also knew that Jesus had put clay on his eyes and sent him to the pool of Siloam to wash his eyes out, but everybody denied knowing anything about the facts of what happened. 

"This is an accurate picture of many today. The truths of Christianity have been proclaimed to them—perhaps by parents, friends, or the church. Intellectually, they know and even believe these truths, but they will not admit them. They are afraid to acknowledge Christ for fear of the consequences." (Martin G. Collins)

(https://www.theberean.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Home.showBerean/BereanID/8967/bblver/KJV/John-9-12-31.htm)

    

YOU CAN NOT JUSTIFY YOURSELF BY YOUR ACTS OR DEEDS.

Acts 24:14

But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.  (New King James Version) 

"Paul is on trial before Felix, the governor. "They" refers to the Jews. Paul says, "I confess," as he is giving testimony. He is a witness before a court, as he is on trial. "The way" is Christianity, which the Jews call a heresy.

""Believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets" is really an astounding statement in light of what has gone on in Protestantism over the past few hundred years. The very man whom they say wrote most clearly and lucidly that "the law is done away" is the one who says he believes all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets. There is absolutely nothing in the Law and the Prophets that says anything at all about the doing away with God's law! Paul did not have the same position in relation to the law as modern theologians do.

"One might think that maybe this was said before Paul wrote that the law was done away. Oh, no. The two books that contain most of what Protestants quote as their authority for doing away with the law are the books of Romans and Galatians. This instance in which Paul was on trial before Felix took place in either AD 58 or 59, most like the latter.

"In either case, the book of Romans and the book of Galatians had both already been written. Both were being circulated through the church. All those doctrinal explanations were written prior to Paul's statement before Felix, yet Paul is still saying, "I believe all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets." Obviously, the common Protestant interpretation of Romans and Galatians is incorrect.

"Certainly, salvation is by grace, but salvation in no way, of and by itself, does away with any of the law of God. Salvation is something that must be given. First of all, God's justice demands that there be a penalty for sin. Since His justice demands that the law be satisfied - that His own government be satisfied for crimes against it - He must follow through. He cannot wink at disagreements in a person's conduct against His rulership over His creation.

"Secondly, once one of His laws has been broken, there is no way it can be undone. It has to be accepted according to what was done. Consider two simple examples of this:

• If somebody is murdered, can that be undone? His life is gone. He is lying on the ground, dead. What is done is done. A person cannot resurrect him. The clock cannot be turned back. Nothing can be done to undo that act, unless there is a power mightier than we are. So the law is broken. 
• Another clear illustration might be a person's virginity. Once the virginity is taken away, or given away, it cannot be undone. The clock cannot be turned back. It is gone, never ever to be recovered.

"The same is true with any act done, even when we are not considering law. However, we are considering law here, so we have to understand that it is God who has provided a solution for the breaking of law. What He has determined is to allow the death of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty, and then, in His mercy (called "grace" in the Bible), He will freely give the sinner relief from the penalty hanging over his head. We cannot make up for what has been done in the past. It can only be covered by a perfect sacrifice and God's willingness to accept that sacrifice.

YOU NEED JESUS CHRIST TO BE SAVED!

"If one studies the New Testament, and especially the writings of Paul, it is good to examine carefully the context in which the word "law" appears. Paul uses it very broadly. In fact, he uses the word "law" 110 times. Sometimes, he uses it to indicate a single law. At other times, he uses it to indicate the Mosaic law. There are other times when he uses it to indicate the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. Yet at other times it refers only to the Ten Commandments.

"A couple of interesting references are in Romans 2, where he uses "law" to indicate the will of God written in the hearts of Gentiles. Why Gentiles? Because they had not been given the law by God, yet he says they did the things contained within the law by nature. What it amounts to, in modern terminology, would be that he uses "law" in the sense of "natural law," that it is a standard that people consider to be in force without having been formally instructed by it. This became an issue, incidentally, in the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court of the United States, because he professed to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he believed in natural law. The liberals on the Committee did not like that at all, because liberals like to be free of the constraints of natural law; they do not feel responsible then.

"Another way Paul uses the word "law" is as if God Himself were speaking. He does not use the name or title of God, but the term "law," as in Romans 3:19. At times, Paul appears to contradict himself when he uses the word "law." In one place, he says, "Yea, we establish the law," but in another, he says, "Yea, we abolish the law." He uses it in the sense of it being both necessary and unnecessary. If one is careful, he will begin to become adept at figuring out how Paul uses it.

"Paul's use of "law" appears in two general categories. If the subject of the context has to do with justification, then it is likely he will use a "no law" approach. That is both logical and right: No man can justify himself. All the lawkeeping in the world will not undo that murder or the loss of virginity. We cannot justify ourselves by what we do after we have broken a law. We cannot make up for it.

"However, if the subject is sanctification - which has to do with a person's conduct, with right living, with discipline or character building - then Paul will say the law is valuable and necessary. It must be kept.

"If we will just keep our eyes on the context, it will help us greatly to understand how Paul uses "law.""  (John W. Ritenbaugh, http://www.theberean.org/)

Catholic Church Tries To Draw Christians Back To Rome And To Pre-Reformation Faith.

The following article applies to all denominations in the world today and it does not apply to the members of any church denomination.  It applies only to the OFFICIALS WHO RUN THE CHURCH. 

So, before all of you critics head out to the shed for your pitch forks and torches, please read the article first.  Then you can head for the pitchforks.  

We are all truly one church and as long as a person believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God we are all one family under God.  The caveat here is that you must stand on the Word of God alone, the Bible.

"Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses—and the world has never been the same since. But what has not changed is the Word of God and the truths in the Word that gave Luther the theological foundation to challenge Rome...Luther found the great truth of “justification by faith” alone.

"It was in regard to this truth, too, that Luther—defying the powers and principalities of the world and of the Roman hierarchy—appeared before the Diet of Worms, in 1521, and declared: “I cannot and will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. . . . Here I stand, I can do no other.”

"And today faithful... (Christians)... also can do nothing either than stand on the Word of God over and against all unbiblical traditions and dogma.

"No question that Christianity has greatly advanced since Luther, freeing itself from centuries of superstition and false doctrine that not only distorted the gospel but, in fact, also usurped it.

"Today, however, in an age of ecumenism and pluralism, many of the distinctive truths that spurred the Reformation have become blurred, covered up under a fusillade of semantic chicanery that seeks to hide fundamental differences that have been resolved no more now than they were in Luther’s day. The prophecies of Daniel 7:23-25, 8:9-12, and Revelation 13, 14, as well as the great news of salvation by faith as found in the book of Romans show why those faithful to the Bible must firmly adhere to the truths that our Protestant forefathers defended, even at the cost of their lives.

"...(W)e must rest upon the principle of sola scriptura, Scripture alone; ... we (must) adamantly reject all attempts to draw Christians back to Rome and to pre-Reformation faith. On the contrary, Scripture points us in the opposite direction"  (Rev. 18:4), and in that direction we proceed as we proclaim “the everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:6) to the world, the same everlasting gospel that inspired Luther 500 years ago."  

(https://www.absg.adventist.org/ "Salvation by faith alone- The Book Of Romans, copyright 2017 General Conferance of Seventh Day Adventists).

We must not be drawn back to the Roman era where Rome ruled and dominated the Christian Church.  We must continue on the path of the post Roman era where the Christian Church drew away from the edicts of the Roman Empire, filled with pagan religious practices and continue on the path established by the early churches post Roman Empire.

God's Representatives During The Millennial Reign Of Jesus Christ.

Nehemiah 9:27

Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies,
Who oppressed them;
And in the time of their trouble,
When they cried to You,
You heard from heaven;
And according to Your abundant mercies
You gave them deliverers who saved them
From the hand of their enemies.

  

Obadiah 1:21

Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion
To judge the mountains of Esau,
And the kingdom shall be the LORD's. (New King James Version)

"As Nehemiah recounts in his prayer to God, these saviors were people like Gideon, Samson, Ehud, Joshua, and Moses. God gave them leaders that He inspired to deliver Israel from the terrible circumstance they were in.

"Now put this verse—and the thought found in Obadiah 21 into a Millennial setting and our responsibilities as kings and priests—into the concepts of saving, judging, and teaching, all of which are involved in what God will be doing then. Remember also that God prophesies that Israel will go into captivity at the beginning of the Tribulation. They will be scattered all over the world in slavery, but God will regather them and bring them back to Israel, weeping, in a repentant state. Then what happens? Who will be their saviors, their deliverers? Who will judge them? Who will teach them?

"Of course, all praise, honor, and glory for these things goes to God. But why—for what reason—is He preparing us? He is not going to do it all Himself. He will follow the patterns He established in the past, only this time He will accomplish His purposes with servants who are greaterthan Joshua, Gideon, Samson, Ehud—greater even than John the Baptist! He will work through saviors, judges, teachers—king-priests who are just like Him. Indeed, they will be His sons!"  

(John W. Ritenbaugh, http://www.theberean.org/index.cfm/ fuseaction/ Home.showBerean/BereanID/6507/Nehemiah-9-27.htm)

Galatians 1:6-8(6) I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, (7) which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. (8) But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

Galatians 4:8-10(8) But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. (9) But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? (10) You observe days and months and seasons and years.  (New King James Version)

"Paul penned the book of Galatians because church members in Galatia were turning away from the true gospel and had embraced a false one (Galatians 1:6-7). Early on, Paul had to establish his credentials - that the gospel he preached did not have its source in any man, as Gnostic ideas do, but had come directly from Jesus Christ (verses 11-12). The Galatians were returning to the "weak and beggarly elements" (Galatians 4:9), referring to the demonism they had been involved in prior to their conversion (verse 8). The Gentile Galatians were observing certain days, months, seasons, and years that had nothing to do with God's holy days (verse 10), but were part of a system that elevated rites and ceremonies above the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, even while paying lip service to Christianity.

"Paul addresses a philosophy that venerated the Torah - and went so far as to teach that one could be justified by works of the law - but also involved astrology and receiving revelations from angels (Galatians 1:8). Because of the belief that the spirit of a person was trying to get back to heaven, worship of angels and astrology was a common tenet of Gnosticism, since angels and the patterns of stars and planets were believed to hold keys to this spiritual journey. Contrary to popular assumption, Paul does not condemn God's law in Galatians but a corrupt system that was severely affecting the church. That Gnostic system happened to include an emphasis on the Old Covenant at the expense of Jesus Christ's life, death, and teachings

"Gnostic Christians borrowed the idea of redemption through Christ, but rather than believing that He redeemed them from sin, they believed that He would redeem them from matter - that is, from the flesh, which they considered to be inherently evil. At the core of Gnosticism is the belief that knowledge, typically secret knowledge - knowledge from angels, from the stars and planets, from the ancients - was the path to holiness and salvation. They believed that the path of redemption was through knowledge, and that the worst evil was ignorance spiritual  than physical. Obviously, they overlooked man's incurably sick heart (Jeremiah 17:9), and the struggle that a person must undertake to overcome it. The Gnostics believed that the solution was found in greater understanding, rather than in a Savior and High Priest who justifies and guides us through a process of sanctification. In essence, Gnostics would rather learn than submit.

"What is more, the knowledge that the Gnostics sought always originated in something other than God and His Word. We know that knowledge itself is not the problem. In the Bible, knowledge is generally presented as a good thing. God goes so far as to say that Israel is "destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). However, the knowledge He means is the knowledge of Himself and of His way of life, not knowledge as an end in itself.

"In the New Testament, Paul tells the congregation at Rome that Israel has "a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Romans 10:2). Israelites like to think they are serving God, but the way they go about it is contrary to the instructions that God gave them. Jesus Himself says that eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ (John 17:3), by which He means the experience of an intimate relationship with the Father and the Son, something the Gnostics would never accept. They believed that a spiritual and thus pure God would have nothing to do with what they considered to be entirely evil matter and flesh. They did not care that God called His physical creation "good" - even "very good" - for they still saw it as corrupt, a prison from which to be liberated."  (David C. Grabbe, http://www.theberean.org/ 03/23/2017).

THERE IS NO LASTING VALUE IN JUSTIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF ONES OWN WORKS.

Galatians 3:22- But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

"The Old Testament has "included" or "enclosed" or "shut up" all of humanity under the umbrella of sin. Not a single person can appear before God on the basis of his own merit or righteousness. The totality of mankind is enslaved by sin and does not have the means to break free from its grasp. By "concluding" that everyone is under the bondage of sin, or under the curse of sin, the scripture shows that something external to mankind has to act to provide a solution that can save man from himself and his sinful nature. This "conclusion" also demonstrates that none of the paths that man has embarked on—primarily justification on the basis of one's own works—are of any lasting worth.

"Because all other paths are shown to be futile, the only option for salvation and glorification is the way that Jesus Christ has set forth. There are no other alternatives. Faith in what Christ has done, is doing, and will do is mankind's only hope.

"The story of the Israelites is a record of a people whom God chose, set apart, and blessed with incredible blessings and opportunities. But it is also a record of mankind's sinful nature, and how illogical it is that a man could stand before God on account of his own innate righteousness. God revealed just a portion of His will and character—the letter of the law—to Israel, and its history powerfully demonstrates that, by himself, man is unable to live up to God's standards.

"This should be a glaring testimony that some other means is required for man to have a relationship with his Creator. The solution is justification—being brought into alignment with God and His law—on the basis of belief in the Savior and His perfect sacrifice. This marks the beginning of the relationship. But because faith without works is dead, the way a man lives his life demonstrates who and what he believes in. If he has been justified before God and is being saved, his life will reflect God's mercy, providence, and sovereignty. We are not justified or saved by our works, but if we are justified our works will demonstrate that we are being saved. "Belief" in Christ will be an everyday, continual reality, and true belief will shape every thought, word, and deed." (David C. Grabbe, http://www.theberean.org/03/21/2017 )

The Apostle Paul Wrote That, "Saying That Any Portion Of The Bible Is "Done Away" Could Be Spiritually Suicidal".

• 2 Timothy 3:15-17 - and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  (New King James Version)

“At the time Paul wrote this, "all scripture is inspired of God, and is profitable" referred to the Old Testament. Paul probably did not know that what he was writing would become Scripture.

“At its worst, saying that the law—or any portion of the Bible—is "done away" could be spiritually suicidal. At the very least, it will hinder growth because a person will not be thoroughly furnished to all good works. It is similar in principle to a student attending school who ignores certain selected sections of the textbook on the basis of his own perception of what he needs.

“I recall from my own school days expressing the opinion that I could not see why we had to study ancient Greek, Egyptian, or Roman history. I could not see what good I would ever get out of such courses, but others, much older and wiser, insisted that the history we were taught included teaching in these areas. My narrow point of view was that of an immature kid who did not understand what is required to produce a well-rounded citizen of the United States of America.

“In a similar manner, but with far greater accuracy and consequences, there is nothing extraneous in God's Word. We are to live by every Word of God (Matthew 4:4). If God is all-wise and all-powerful, if everything that He does is in love, and if He is working out a purpose that is in our best interest (that we might live forever with Him), why would God even give a body of laws—which Jesus said would never pass away until all is fulfilled (Matthew 5:18), and which Paul wrote is spiritual, holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12)—if God did not intend that its letter and/or spirit should be used for all time? God does nothing without meaning, so the law is included in Scripture for the sake of Christians."  (http://www.theberean.org/, John W. Ritenbaugh)

That God Will Grant Us Repentance And Forgive Us Through The Blood Of Jesus Christ Is Not Actually The Good News!

Hebrews 6:1  

	Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,  New King James Version

"These doctrines or principles are very important. God will grant us repentance and forgive us through the blood of Jesus Christ. What good news! But it is not the good news. That is the principle: Being granted repentance and having faith in and through Jesus Christ are good news, but the result of those things is the real good news. It is the culmination of the process—"let us go on to perfection"—that is the good news.

"What if the gospel concentrates on the Messenger rather than the message He brought? If it focuses on the greatness of the Messenger, all of the good news about Him, and His importance to the process, His significance actually begins to diminish. If one concentrates on the Messenger, he will believe that salvation comes merely because he believes in the Messenger (see Matthew 7:21). Further development of that human being stops because he has made the wrong choice. That is the problem with concentrating on the Messenger, as important as He is.

"The gospel does not specifically concentrate on Christ, yet we do not want to denigrate the major role He plays either. The process pivots around Him, though its ultimate purpose will end when He delivers the Kingdom to the Father (I Corinthians 15:24). The Messenger became the High Priest, and we are saved through His life. Christianity has to go beyond the fact that He was the Messenger. Now He is the High Priest in heaven. And though He is High Priest, we still have choices to make in relation to the Kingdom of God.

"That is why Hebrews 6:1 says, "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection." As we go through the process that the Messenger went through and begin to experience what He accomplished, He is magnified in our eyes, because we try to do what He did and realize how awesome and difficult what He did was. While we try to imitate Him, the process of creation is going on. If we stop trying to imitate Him, He becomes diminished. That is why we have to go on to perfection, to completion, because the process is not complete with just believing in Jesus Christ.

(John W. Ritenbaugh, http://www.theberean.org/, 02/14/2017)

At the Cross, Jesus Gave Us the Gift of Everlasting Life!

Do you want immortality and everlasting life, to live free of pain and sorrow, sickness and death throughout eternity?  If this is something you desire, then be assured that you can receive everlasting life the moment you accept JesusChrist as your savior. 

John 5:24 says “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hear my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”; 3:36 says “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”; and 4:14 says “But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”.

If you believe in Jesus, you will receive everlasting life and the character of Jesus.  This will be displayed and shown by how you act, appear, and how you live your life.   “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5:11-12). 

This is a privilege that a Christians receives through the saving grace of Jesus but it does not exempt one from death in this mortal dispensation.  The apostle John writes, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, said the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them. (Revelation 14:13).

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now, is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:25-29).

The righteous who have died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar, and were persuaded by them will come forth to eternal life.  (Hebrews11:13).

Christians are subject to the sleep of death.  They die in Christ but, are not subject to the second death.   Christ will awaken His people at His coming, and they will then receive their glorified immortal bodies suited for the privilege of being in the presence of God and of everlasting life.  “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-23).

This Easter Week Christians Need to Remember....

 

Jesus Christ’s Promise; He said, “I will come again”!

“I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3).

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:” “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” (Matthew 25:31,34).

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28).

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

“Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11).

“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be... 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.  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.” (Matthew 24:27-31).

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;” (Titus 2:13).

Just remember what the Easter season is all about.  It is about Jesus saying, “I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:3).

Proof Of The Paranormal.

 

The next time any human being sees Jesus Christ is when He comes back for His church.  Dead Christians will be resurrected into immortality and the Christians who are still alive at that time Jesus returns will be changed from mortal human beings into immortal human beings.  It is then that people will rise up into the air with Jesus and go into “heaven” and prepare to return with Him and set up an earthly Kingdom.   

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.

"He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.

"And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:  KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."  (Revelation 19:11-16)

As Christians, we are supposed to be preparing ourselves for Jesus to come back for us and take us to heaven where He will prepare us to help Him set up the kingdom that He will rule, on earth.  We are supposed to be developing our God given talents so that we can use these talents during the millennial reign of Jesus.  We are not developing these talents for the world today, although that does not mean if you are developing them now you will not enjoy a better life now.

There is a time in the future when Jesus will come for human beings who have prepared for Him.  These human beings will be used during a time period that expands a thousand years.  Jesus will need these people to help run the world Government.  These people will be the spiritual beings who now fully know and understand what happens when you turn your back on God the creator of the universe. 

These, immortal spiritual human beings, beings similar to what a lot of people today call “ghosts.   These people will be similar to how Jesus interacted with the people after He was resurrected, before He ascended into heaven.   

How you learn the ways of the Lord and live our life now will determine your reward when Jesus returns.  Your reward will be your status and position in the Kingdom of God.  It will determine where you will fit in the Government of God. 

When will this happen?

"But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”  Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.  And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain.  But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

 

"All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men....  The body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.  There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.”  The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

 

"However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.  The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.  As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.   And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

 

"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

"For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  (1 Corinthians 15: 35-54).

"It should be comforting to all people, especially people interested in spirits and ghost, that what they are searching for is actually documented in the Bible.  Jesus Christ is coming back and he will turn all who are prepared for His return into spiritual human beings with all the power associated to these beings.

 

"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."  (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

 

"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour[a] your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  (Matthew 24:42-44)

Our Lord Jesus Christ taught that He might come back at any time, suddenly, imminently, without any notice or signs. The most important characteristic of Christ's return is that it could happen without warning, suddenly, catching us off guard if we're not faithfully doing what we need to do to prepare.

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

"Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”  (Mark 13:32-37).

"The Lord told us TO WATCH, because He might come back at any time, suddenly.

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore, be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:42-44).

We need to be prepared.