Lies

 

Lies

 

Ne definition needed – everyone knows what a lie is and everyone hates to be lied to, yet everyone has or will tell a lie.

 

The word lie has two basic meanings: to lay down or to tell a falsehood – to not tell the truth. In all its’ forms that mean to tell a falsehood; lie, lied, lies, lieth, liar, liars and lying; GOD hates it. To prove that I am only going to use two Scripture references.

 

Acts 5:1-11, the Church was young and relatively small when people started to sell their possessions and give the money to the Apostles to distribute as needed in the community of believers. One couple, Ananias and Sapphira kept part of the money from the sale of their property and gave the rest to the Church. The problem was that they told everyone that they gave all of the proceeds of the sale to the Church; this was not a sin or improper in any way. But, the lie was and GOD judged them on the spot by taking their lives in front of witnesses. This put the Church on the straight and narrow when it came to lying.

 

The other is Revelation 22:12-17, JESUS says in review of previous 21 chapters, “’And behold, I Am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. I Am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.  Blessed are those who do His Commandments, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter through the gates into The City. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. I, JESUS, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the Churches. I Am the Root and the offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.’ And The SPIRIT and The Bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the Water of Life freely.”

 

The Bible is clear in it’s teachings that lying is bad and we should not lie, if we tell a lie we have to ask for forgiveness and stop lying and GOD will forgive us, even if some people do not. But when it comes to lying to GOD or practicing a lie, well the Scriptures are clear, that brings death and eternal rejection by GOD.

 

So practicing a lie, what is that? To live a lie knowing that it is a lie. There is one example in the New Testament; JESUS is doing miracles and casting out demons and the religious leaders are accusing Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub or the devil. JESUS tells them that if He is casting out demons by Beelzebub then by whom do their sons cast our demons; their sons will be their judge. But He also tells them and the crowd that blaspheming The HOLY SPIRIT is an unforgivable sin, the only unforgivable sin; because they are says that The HOLY SPIRIT is the devil; Mark 3:20-30; Matthew 12:22-32; Luke 12:8-12; Acts 7:51-53.

Rapture - Before or After?

 

Rapture – Before or After?

 

I do not believe that the Church is going to be raptured before or during the Great Tribulation! Though I wish it were true.

 

In my study of Revelation it says that the Church will go through the full seven years of the tribulation and the thousand year reign of CHRIST from Jerusalem before the rapture. The rapture is actually the second resurrection; the first resurrection is of those killed during the tribulation, Revelation 20:4 & 6. The second resurrection is everyone else who died before the great battle in Jerusalem and the camp of the saints, Revelation 20:7-10; including those who died during CHRIST’s thousand year reign in Jerusalem, Revelation 20:5 & 11-15.

 

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says that all those in CHRIST living and dead will be caught up to be with JESUS at the last trumpet, Revelation 11: 15-19, the last trumpet is the day that CHRIST returns to establish His Throne in Jerusalem and reign over the nations of the earth for one thousand years, Revelation 19:11-21. So it could be that Revelation 20:4 does not fully describe the first resurrection. Either way it does not happen until CHRIST returns at the last trumpet!

 

The only thing the Bible says about the thousand year reign of CHRIST; other than that He will reign with a rod of iron over the nations; is that those of the first resurrection will reign with Him in Jerusalem for the thousand years. Then after the thousand years satan will be loosed in the world and he will raise an unnumbered army to attack the Christians living around Jerusalem and Jerusalem itself. That means that there will be many people alive during this time who do not serve GOD. This is not part of GOD’s eternal Kingdom (Paradise), people will be born, live and die during the thousand years of CHRIST’s earthly reign and many will hate Him.

 

One of the problems with the current teaching that the Church will be raptured before the tribulation is that when that does not happen many “Christians” who believed and counted on not having to go through the Great Tribulation will be so hurt and disappointed that they will lose faith in the Church, the Word and GOD. I believe this is the cause of the great falling away that is prophesied, “…All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My Name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this Gospel of The Kingdom will be preached to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:1-14 I believe this is the first three and a half years of the tribulation. 24:15-26 is the last three and a half years and verses 27-28 are The Last Day. Then comes the thousand year reign of CHRIST in Jerusalem; the final great battle at Jerusalem and the eternal reign of The Father and The Son in the new Jerusalem, in the new Heaven and earth!

Am I Content With My Heritage?

 

Am I Content With My Heritage?

Psalm 16:5-6 – John 14:1-4

 

“ADONAI, my assigned portion, my cup; You safeguard my share.

Pleasant places are measured out for me; I am content with my heritage.”

 

“Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in GOD and trust in Me. In My Father’s House are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you. Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with Me; so that where I am, you may be also. Furthermore, you know where I am going; and you know the way there.”

 

To be content where we are we have to be content with our destination. Contentment is the knowing that we have a place in GOD’s eternal Kingdom, no matter how hard our life is we know to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to life, Matthew 7:13-14.

Mark 10:45

 "For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." Mark 10:45

"Are you willing to spend and be spent; not seeking to be ministered unto, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work and remain saints because it is beneath their dignity." Oswald Chambers

This morning as I was awakening I heard The LORD saying, "Are you ready to serve?" After I got up I answered, "Yes." even though I have been complaining to Him a lot about my position of serving my family for the last few years.

GOD is faithful to His call for our life, He never stops calling, we just have to stop complaining as we do what He has called us to do at the moment. Then He'll promote us to the next level of service.

GOD Bless, be obedient, Bob.

The American Dream and The Pursuit of Happiness!

 

The American Dream and The Pursuit of Happiness!

 

Comfort and possessions are the pursuit of happiness! The pursuit of happiness is work and sometimes hardship!

 

Comfort and possessions are not the American dream! The American dream is the freedom to worship GOD without persecution and the pursuit of happiness!

 

The American dream and the pursuit of happiness are not free nor are they easy to achieve, the happy life is not always comfortable.

 

Most people can quote some version of John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure.” CJB But well before He said that He said, “How blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow Me! Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in Heaven is great – they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.” Matthew 5:11

 

Persecution is not easy or comfortable, but it is a sign that you are born again and are serving GOD according to His will in JESUS CHRIST!

What Does GOD Expect of Us?

 

What Does GOD Expect of Us?

 

GOD only expects a few things from us: Be holy for He is Holy! Seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness before anything else! What does that require?

 

Obey His commands:

Sow The Gospel!

Love one another and everybody else!

Forgive everyone!

Avoid all sexual immorality!

Do not lie, cheat or steal!

Exercise personal integrity!

Exercise personal morality!

 

It is harder than it sounds without His SPIRIT; with His Word and His SPIRIT it is just a matter of choice. It will only become part of our nature by daily habit!