Month: April 2024

Posted on

What really happens when a Christian dies? (It will NOT be a bright lighted tunnel! It WILL be a ship in waves and wind! Call on Jesus!)

(Note to Readers: This is so important to understand deeply so it is sealed in your memory at the time of your death, that I have included part of the deep study on passing over from earth life to eternal life)

Death: Passing Over as a Christian
Lecture 111-3
By Kathy L. McFarland

The dying experience for a Christian is not complicated. Scripture tells us exactly what will happen, and how we are expected to respond. However, there is a slight complication in learning what the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to know. It is hidden in His Word, similar to the parables He spoke to His disciples. Do you remember what He gave as the reason for speaking in parables?

Matthew 13:34–35 (KJV 1900)
34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret
from the foundation of the world.

Mark 4:1–2 (KJV 1900)
And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine.

Mark 4:10-13 (KJV 1900)
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Also understand:

Proverbs 26:7–9 (KJV 1900)
7 The legs of the lame are not equal:
So is a parable in the mouth of fools.
8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling,
So is he that giveth honour to a fool.
9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,
So is a parable in the mouth of fools.

There is only one key to understanding the hidden symbology and typology in our life today that are contained within the Word of God. THE HOLY SPIRIT within Christians that have been baptized
with Him is a crucial means to that understanding. It is the Holy Spirit that guides our studies and reveals the deeper things in Scripture. So, when non-Christians read the Bible, their eyes understand only the literal words within it, and they handle any deeper things within like fools. But Christians have been given the ability to read literal words and find deeper things and teachings of the LORD God that are hidden from the profane and secular.

Sadly, Christianity has been watered down so much in these times, that there are very few teachers of Scripture that know how to seek those deep teachings of God. All Christians can be strengthened by those important Words, but seldom do they experience them because there just is no one to teach them how to really read the Word of God with the Holy Spirit’s help.

Thanks be to God! I have been taught by the Holy Spirit to teach you to see the hidden inside the Word of God. It is the process of passing over in the death of a Christian that we will begin studying that deepness today. Contained within the literal Word of God are important instructions and briefings to what will actually happen when we pass over, and how the Lord Jesus Christ expects for us to handle it. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help in understanding this crucial Scripture instructions and be prepared for any traces of the fear of death to leave your thoughts forevermore.

Creation of the Seas

Genesis 1:6–10 (KJV 1900)
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. 9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

The LORD God made the firmament from the waters and called it Heaven on the second day of Creation. He gathered the waters under Heaven and let the dry land of Earth appear. Between Earth and Heaven the waters were gathered together, and He called them SEAS! It is the sea that must be passed over between the Earth and Heaven; it is the division that separates both.

Physical Death
Mark 4:35–41 (KJV 1900)
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

1. The Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples the reason for parables, with the Parable of the Seeds, (Mark 4:3-8) and The Explanation of the Parable of the Seeds (Mark 4:13-32). He wanted the disciples understanding of the underlying meaning of their next experience to be forefront on their minds.

2. That very same day, the Lord told His disciples “Let us pass over unto the other side.”

3. Whenever we see the Words “pass over” or Passover, we are immediately drawn to the memory of the LORD God Passing Over those Israelites houses that had the blood of a lamb painted on
their door posts during the carrying out of the last curse for the death of the firstborn against the Pharaoh (Exodus 12).

4. We also remember the Passover remembrance ordained by the LORD God to be celebrated every year (Deuteronomy 16).

5. Those two examples show a critical need for Believers to understand deeply what “pass over” means, and to understand the events that happened in Mark 4:35-41.

6. Literally speaking, pass over speaks of “moving from one shore to another shore over water.”

Other side – 4305 πέραν (peran): adv. and prep. (never compounded with verbs); ≡ Str 4008—LN 83.43 across, on the opposite side; the region across (Mk 3:8; 4:35; 5:1;
6:45; Lk 8:22; Jn 1:28; 18:1)

Conclusion – 4306 πέρας (peras), ατος (atos), τό (to): n.neu.; ≡ Str 4009—1. LN 80.6 limit, end of a space (Mt 12:42; Lk 11:31; Ro 10:18+; Ac 13:33 v.r. NA26); 2. LN 61.15 conclusion, end of a matter (Heb 6:16+)

(James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

7. Note the Hebrew word for “other side” is “πέραν (peran)” which is “across, on the opposite side; the region across.”

8. Note the Hebrew word “πέρας (peras)” as just the end root changes it to “conclusion.”

9. The Lord Jesus Christ took His disciples after sending the multitude away. This journey is just for His disciples.

10. They notice that there are other little ships around them.

11. A great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, and it filled the ship with water.

12. The disciples got scared. Big time. The boat was rocking back and forth severely, and the waves were rushing and beating and splashing and roaring. It was scary, and the disciples reached out to their Lord Jesus Christ who was in the boat with them.

13. They crawled to Jesus in that furious storm. He was asleep on a pillow, unaffected by the buffeting ship. They awoke Him and screamed, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?”

14. Jesus arose up, rebuked the wind and told the sea, “Peace, be still.” The wind ceased and the seas grew calm.

15. Jesus asked his disciples “Why are ye so fearful?” “How is it that you have no faith?”

16. By asking these questions, Jesus lets us know that to be fearful in this situation buffeting winds and furious seas while in a ship, shows A LACK OF FAITH!

17. This experience astounded the disciples and they became EVEN MORE FEARFUL, saying to each other “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

18. Let’s do a bit of word typology, then I will lay the experience out for you in the deepest teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

19. Pass over to the other side – Means to move from life on earth to life in Heaven.

20. When even(ing) was come – Evening represents the end of life.

21. Jesus said to them “Let us pass over unto the other side.” Note that you do not do that by yourself. He said “us.” Jesus and you pass over together.

22. The multitude, the secular and the perverse in the crowd of people just listening to Jesus and not making a commitment; they couldn’t come to the places the disciples were going in the little
ship to pass over.

23. The little ship conveyed the Disciples from one shore to the other as it will convey all Followers of Jesus Christ.

24. The great storm with the winds blowing and the waves beating into the ship is the test of faith given to every Christian as they pass over.

25. Jesus sleeping with His pillow shows us that it is absolutely nothing to be scared about.

26. He taught the disciples and us that he could easily rebuke the wind and the waves and they would calm down immediately.

27. “Why are you so fearful, how is it that ye have no faith?” asks Jesus to show that it is indeed a test of faith easily accomplished.

Conclusion:
Let me recapture what we have learned from this account of the disciples in a storm in a little ship. We have learned exactly what will happen at the moment of a Christian physical death:

As your physical body dies and your soul is released, you will immediately find yourself in a little ship. You will see other little ships floating around you; those are floating the souls of the other
Christians that have died at the same time you have. The wind will pick up ferociously, and the waves will become bigger and bigger and pound your ship back and forth.

It is a test of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you trust Him to be Lord over all?

Do you trust Him to have peace in the midst of the terrible storm?

Do you have confidence in His presence with you as the storm builds?

Do you have certainty that you will reach the other bank and exit your ship into Heaven?

Do you have the deep knowledge of Mark 4:35-41 to prepare you for your physical death and encourage your active strong faith at the moment your soul leaves your body?

Pretty exciting isn’t it! You now have learned how it will feel and what you will see and hear when you experience physical death. And you now know that it is a faith test, and as a strong Christian,
you are not going to fail that little test now are you?

But wait! There is a little problem, maybe. How many of you have heard about the white tunnel of peace that almost dead and temporarily dead report when they awake? The white tunnel where a peaceful entrance into Heaven shows you surrounded by your lost loved ones. Sometimes even angels and God and Jesus lookalikes as they embrace and encourage the almost dead to return to their bodies because it is not their time. And they return with a certain, strong belief, that they and all the people they have known that have died before them are in the peaceful, bright Heaven, celebrating and loving each other.

Quite a different account of physical death, isn’t it? What’s up with that? Could it be our enemy, Satan, that is purposely causing these illusions of the almost dead? What gain could Satan make
by putting false illusions in the almost dead?

Possibly, if he tricks the almost dead, he might think they would never increase any faith they might possess in their remainder life. Sadly, for the devil, some actually start walking closer with Christ.

It is a Satan fail sometimes.

But what about strong Christians? Does Satan want them to become shipwrecked when they meet their test of faith and die? YOU BET HE DOES! He wants strong Christians to grow so scared at the crossing between this life and the one of Heaven, that they fail their test, and must go back to their grave and sleep until Jesus resurrects them in the Last Days. When Christians mistakenly believe that everyone can go down a peaceful tunnel and meet God and their loved ones with angels singing and white light comforting them, and instead find they are being buffeted by a great wind and storm that threatens to sink their ship, they are likely to become fearful. And if the great enemy Satan can make good Christians fearful, then he thinks he can win. Regrettably for the devil, it still is a Satan fail; strong Christians learn the secret of death before they die, and if they don’t and become shipwrecked, they still have a place in Heaven, it will just take them a little bit longer to get there!

Thanks be to God!

Shipwrecked

1 Timothy 1:19 (KJV 1900)
19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 28. It is just a little tiny verse; but it confirms what we already know. If at the time of physical death, you have a weakness of faith, or a bad conscience, you are going to be shipwrecked! 29. If you are being buffeted by the storm in your little ship, and you were expecting a peaceful white tunnel leading to Heaven, and you lose faith or remember some of the bad things in your life, you will be shipwrecked.

30. What is faith? Faith is the surety of things to come. Faith is believing that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins, which should lead to a very good conscience from that moment you are saved. Faith is knowing God’s Word and believing it. Faith is knowing that your Savior will warn you before tough times occur. Faith is understanding the deep things in Scripture so you can prepare for physical death and have absolutely no fear when the storm hits!

Look at the Greek word for “wrecked:”

Wrecked: ῥῆγμα (rhēgma), N. wreck; ruin; collapse. Hebrew equivalent: 3) קְרָעִים ). Noun Usage 1. ruin (dissolution) — an event or act that results in destruction; especially that involves the breakup of component parts. Related Topics: Ruin; Desolate; Corrupt.

Wrecks cause ruin, desolation, corruption. Makes sense, does it not? Your faith is corrupted if it disappears at the moment of a scary event. You are made desolate for a lack of faith; you must sleep in your grave alone until Jesus resurrects you in the Last Days.

Please don’t misunderstand this. You are saved and will ultimately join Jesus for your little faith.

But if your faith is corrupted, if it is lacking, if you grow scared at the first storm upon your physical death, then you will be measured by the Lord Jesus Christ as “Lacking.” You will never assume a strong role in the New Earth if you cannot be strong getting there. Amen?

Posted on

The Baptism of Jesus Christ

Salvation comes to Believers through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Salvation is a two-step process. The first step is one of belief, and the second step is one of action. If the Unsaved believe, but do nothing, they remain unsaved. If the Unsaved do not believe, but go through the action of a repentant sinner, they too remain unsaved.

Romans 10:9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10 KJV)

PERSONAL STEPS TO SALVATION
1. Know that you are a sinner, and cannot save yourself.
2. Confess the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior
3. Believe that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient to atone for your sins.
4. Be confident that Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead.

Salvation comes by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through the promises of the LORD God

Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 KJV)

The confessor of Jesus Christ as Savior is crucified with him. A Believer is joined to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ through faith. When Christ is confessed and accepted as a Believer’s Savior, Christ shares both His crucifixion and Resurrection. This makes the Believer eligible to receive the Baptism of Jesus Christ. However, it is vitally important to note that this Baptism does NOT bring salvation to the soul; it is only faith in Christ as Savior, developed during a physical lifetime, that offers eternal salvation. The dead are not given an opportunity to develop faith in Christ after their demise.

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS CHRIST

Romans 6:1-18
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:1-18 KJV)

Followers of Christ are crucified with his Crucifixion by their faith, and that faith alone, gives promised salvation. (Galatians 2:20)

The Baptism of Jesus Christ allows them to immediately ascend to Heaven upon their physical death. This is called the “First Resurrection.” (Revelation 20:4–5)

If people die without the Baptism of Jesus Christ, but were believers in faith that Christ is their Savior, then they will be resurrected on the great Judgment Day into the Resurrection of Life. (John 5:28–29) Even they only experience one death. Sadly, they cannot go to Heaven immediately because they did not experience death through baptism. They must sleep in their graves in their first death. However, when Christ resurrects them from the grave, faithful believers will ascend to Heaven and join those faithful Baptized Christian that have gathered around His throne.

If people die without the Baptism of Jesus Christ, and did NOT believe in Christ’s salvation, they are resurrected from their grave on the great Judgment Day into the Resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28–29) They, as well as death and Hell, will be cast into the lake of fire. This is called the “second death.” (Revelation 20:11–15) Those Unbelievers who reject Christ’s salvation in their lifetime, sleep in their graves until Christ raises them to His Judgment Seat to finalize His verdict. (Revelation 20:11–15)

All of the benefits of Salvation are given to a Faithful Believer the moment he accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. (Romans 10:9-10)

But there is one more step a believer must fulfill to see Heaven immediately upon physical death. A faithful Christian must also be baptized into the death of Jesus Christ, and be buried with Him also. Faith allows Believers to share His Crucifixion, and their Baptism allows them to experience His Burial and His Resurrection.

This Baptismal death releases the hold of original sin and the devil. Those experiencing the death of Jesus Christ and His burial through the experience of Baptism, will not die a second death. When Baptized Christians experience physical death, they immediately ascend to Heaven. Those baptized with the Baptism of Jesus Christ go to their ONLY grave within the baptismal waters. When they rise up from their baptismal water graves, they resurrect into the NEW LIFE, with a NEW BIRTH. Baptized Believer’s souls will never go to the grave again! (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

CRUCIFIED ONCE, BURIED ONCE AND RESURRECTED ONCE!

Revelations 21:1-7
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (Revelations 21:1-7 av)

Heaven is a temporary dwelling place, until His chosen Time, when a new Heaven and a New Earth will be established according to His Will.

The unbaptized Believers, who were faithful in the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but failed to complete the process of going to the grave in Baptism, will go to an earthly grave to sleep for a period (Daniel 12:1-4). The Unbaptized but Saved Believers will be resurrected from their graves, in His time, and given Eternal Life through His Grace of Salvation (Revelation 20:13).

Through their belief and confession of Jesus Christ, the UNBAPTIZED, BUT SAVED BELIEVERS will go on to Eternal Life after their resurrection from their graves and their soul journey to Heaven.

Through their belief and confession of Jesus Christ, the BAPTIZED, SAVED BELIEVERS will go to Heaven for a while, and then on to Eternal Life on the New Earth, where all Believers will begin a new and blessed life under the rule of their King Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

The Baptism of Christ causes death to come one time to a Believer, and Resurrect in Christ’s example, granting eternal life when rising out of the baptismal waters. Those that are already dead are not going to be made alive again through the rising out of the baptismal waters in the likeness of the Resurrection of Christ. They will merely be wet dead people, asleep in death until resurrected by Christ on Judgment Day.

The most valid interpretation to Paul’s reference in 1 Corinthians is the understanding that the grace the LORD God gives followers of Christ must come through faith, and faith can only come through a personal response of a living person. Faith cannot be assumed by another in proxy. Baptism of the dead is spoken about by Paul as a persuasive logical argument against the vicarious event conducted by a people who were not upholding the true teachings of Christ. The perspective of Paul attacks and counterattacks this odd belief that subverts the LORD God’s promise of grace, and the Lord Jesus Christ’s Resurrection from the dead.

And by the way: Christians are NOT made angels after rising to Heaven. They are given brand new bodies formed for humans. They will NEVER become angels.

1 Corinthians 15:35–58 (KJV 1900)
35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? 36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Posted on

What happens to a soul when the body dies

Every person conceived in the womb of a woman has a soul. The soul of a person contains everything that person is and has the potential of becoming. The body is the container of the soul, and under most usual conditions the soul remains within the body
until released by death to the body.

Once the soul leaves the body of a believer in Jesus Christ, it is called the spirit. According to the Word of God, there are several things that can happen at the moment of bodily death, depending on the spiritual state of the soul at the moment of death.

Before we discuss, these conditions we must first understand the reason for death. Death must come to every human being to free them from the hold of sin. Every person is born into sin, and every person must die to release them from sin. Sin cannot remain in a dead body; thus, sin dies when the body dies.

1. When a faithful Christian has received the baptism of Jesus Christ, he is actually going to his grave at that moment. Death is brought to him under the baptismal waters, and the hold of sin within his body is brought to death. Once bodily death (painless) comes to a Christian, the soul of the Christian is immediately released, and ascends to Heaven for a period of rest until the establishment of the New Earth. The ascended spirit is given a new container (or body) while in Heaven.

2. When a not so faithful Christian, who has received the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ, but NOT received the baptism of Christ, then he goes to his grave for a while. This Christian’s soul lies in the grave, within the decaying body, until it is resurrected by Jesus Christ during the rapture period. The spirit is then risen up into Heaven for a short time while the End Things are being done on earth through the Judgments of Jesus Christ.

3. Christian Martyrs who defend and die by their choice to uphold the Word and Being of the LORD God and Jesus Christ rest under the altar of God until all is fulfilled. Going to the grave for the Word of God completes this martyrdom. Their spirits receive resurrection during the rapture period, where they go to Heaven for a time, then on to the New Earth to receive great honor and position.

4. Most Jew’s souls sleep in their graves until resurrected to the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ. At their Judgment, they will be judged according to the law of the LORD God by the Lord Jesus Christ whom they will recognize. Those righteously obedient Jews and those embracing faith in Christ will go on to the New Earth and receive their inheritance as promised by the LORD God, and those who are wickedly disobedient sent to eternal punishment.

5. Common people, who have no belief or faith in Jesus Christ, die within their bodies. At the moment of their death they sometimes feel great pain and sometimes even a similitude of peace when they have been tricked by false doctrines and beliefs in their life. At the moment of their death, most souls go to sleep inside the dead body, and lay in their grave until resurrected to stand before the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ. In very rare cases, distressed souls or those woken from the dead by the unscrupulous living, wander about without their body, seeking answers that can not be found.

At that Judgment Seat, Jesus weighs the things the common people did in life, and judges them accordingly. Those who have not followed the Word of God and accepted Jesus Christ as Savior in their lifetime, are guaranteed a certain verdict of guilty, and a promised damnation into Hell, a place of eternal punishment.

Death to all living bodies brings death to sin. The soul is released from the dead body according to rules of the LORD God that are written for all to see in His Word. Once a person has died, change cannot be accomplished to the spiritual destiny of the soul. It is vital that a person prepare his soul before death comes, and wise for the person to embrace the Word of God, and accept the unearned salvation and resurrection of Jesus Christ, before it is too late.

John 12:44-50
Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Romans 6:1–14 (KJV 1900)
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 pBlotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them uin it.

1 Corinthians 15:51–58 (KJV 1900)
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Revelation 6:9–11 (KJV 1900)
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Revelation 7:9–14 (KJV 1900)
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:1–8 (KJV 1900)
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Posted on

Keep the dogs away from spiritual gatherings

(Note to the few misguided Christian friends on Facebook that like to shock and awe Christian brothers and sisters with outlier opinions: This post is the correct way to cause reaction. Use Bible verse, explain your position, and then wait for the fireworks to explode!)

Scripture classifies dogs as being wild, violent, and filthy:

Matthew 15:26 (KJV 1900)
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

Original Hebrew and Greek confirms this:

Dogs – 3264 κύων (kuōn), dat. pl. κυσίν (kysin), ὁ (ho): n.masc.; ≡ DBLHebr 3978; Str 2965; TDNT 3.1101—1. LN 4.34 dog, a more wild dog, or a street dog, capable of violence and filthy habits (Mt 7:6; Lk 16:21; 2Pe 2:22+); 2. LN 88.122 bad person, figurative extension of prior entry (Php 3:2+), for another interp, see next; 3. LN 88.282 sexually immoral, implying perversion (Rev 22:15+)

(Swanson, James. 1997. In Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament), electronic ed. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)

Christian Leaders! Keep the Dogs Away From the Holy!

1. It is NOT good or advantageous to take the children (in Christ)’ teachings to learn spiritual growth and give it to dogs instead.

2. The meaning of the Greek word for “Dogs” is a wild or street dog capable of violence and filthy habits.

3. The typological meaning in Scripture for dogs is a sexually immoral, perverse, bad person that is capable of violence and filthy habits.

As a Christian leader that knows the Biblical typological meaning of “Dog,” a literal beast who cannot receive salvation or eternal life, I have objection to bringing the animal into a church setting for Holy Blessings. I also have a fondness for my pet dog, and I am appreciative of its service of love to me and my family. However, I believe great care must be given by Christian leaders that the Holy Duties of Church leadership must NOT be cast away to the literal beasts as represented in Scripture.

Though often a popular rite in some Christian churches to gather their pets for a Holy Blessing, simple people that love their pets greatly are sometimes given peace through this practice. However, in my opinion it is unbiblical and casts the Holy away from the righteous Believers that depend fully upon proper conduct by their Christian leadership.

Though the Rainbow Bridge poem seems to somehow assure pet lovers that their dogs are on their way to Heaven, I find no evidence of this in Scripture. Keep dogs out of the spiritual places and worship of God! And for your sake and God’s, don’t add to the Word of God because you love your pet so much, you are convinced that all dogs go to Heaven. They do NOT!

Posted on

Our Kids are our business

One in four girls, and one in five boys will experience sexual abuse before they reach the age of 18. Children, on average, must report this abuse eight times before an adult will believe them and take action. The abuse most often is from a family member, who wields control over the child through intimidation, and the abuser counts on the victims vulnerability to keep the dirty secrets hidden.

Victims of sexual abuse should not have to struggle with the things of darkness that enter into their world after their innocence is snatched away, but they do repeatedly, because they have no one in their lives to help them escape. When we hear about the sexual abuse of young ones, we rightfully condemn the wicked and lustful acts of the perpetrator, and shout out our repulsion of their acts, but we fail our children daily when we blind ourselves to the dangers within our own communities.

The reality for Christians is this: the devil will try to destroy as many innocent souls as he can before they are able to mature to the place of accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Satan does this by controlling the lust of the heathen, to bring the dirtiness of sexual shame upon young victims, to keep those victims believing they are unworthy to receive the things of God.

The devil isn’t stupid, people. He chooses his victims with care, making sure that the young ones are vulnerable to the pervert’s threats to keep the all important secret. He chooses the households where the focus is not on the children, but on the drama of the adults. He chooses the homes where the woman will sacrifice one of her young for the stability and companionship of the same man that will abuse her child in the dark, behind closed doors. The devil chooses to find those innocent victims that might one day grow to conquer his hold, and snatches their ability before they reach that awareness through the shame, rejection and dirtiness of his lustful ways.

Our Kids are Our Business! As Christian leaders we must take strong stands and shout from our bully pulpits that children matter most, and protection can be found within our presence! As followers of Jesus Christ we must stand up and be counted as willing to provide sanctuary, to support victims, to seek justice and hold the abuser accountable, and to embrace those rejected as a result of that secret being exposed. If we do not stand against this wicked movement of the devil, then our proclamations of faith are weak and unworthy.

In Bible times of old, the sacrifice of children were made for the false Gods, and we are horrified to consider those things of past could have happened. Every time a child is subjected to the sexual abuse of a pervert, he is being sacrificed to the God of lust. Every time a child must keep a secret in order to be safe, that child is being sacrificed. Every time a child is not protected by other family members from the horrible abuses of the devil, that child is being sacrificed. Every time a mother turns a blind eye to the child’s torture, that child is being sacrificed.

Every time a community ignores the problems of the sexual abuse of their children, then not only are the children sacrificed, but also the standards of decency, honor and righteousness are thrown to the ground. Oh how the devil delights in treading upon the victims and the blind communities as he establishes another foothold, for another day and another innocent child.

Our Kids are our Business – Stand up and Stop Child Abuse Now!

Posted on

Sins of the Heart are the Standards of Christ

Matthew 5:27–28 (KJV 1900)
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Many religious folks mention the adultery problem of the heart that can lead to severe Judgment of the Lord. What they don’t often realize is that EVERY Law that the LORD God gave in the Old Testament has a companion “HEART CONDITION” also. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us a few examples; you can be assured that every sin known to mankind has both an actual condition and a heart condition. Consider that for a moment.

See, we can’t congratulate ourselves for not sinning with adultery or murder. We were raised with parents or Christian church leadership or had good morals that taught us right from wrong. As different possible sins enter our heart we keep them secret for as long as we can and believe that we are not sinning if we avoid the ultimate sins. Right? We think about those terrible and evil sinners that actually commit horrendous crimes of sin-filled behaviour. We aren’t like them, are we? We have the self-control to hide our thoughts, and not react to them as those low-life wicked people, right? They didn’t have good parents or good Christian leadership. That’s why they are bad, and why we are good is what many think to themselves.

But wait! Christ’s standards looks toward the heart as well as the action. If you were a Jew, you would certainly be in disobedience to God’s Commandment if you were to physically have sex with another that is married to someone else. But, under Christ’s standard, you are guilty of disobedience to God’s Commandment by just having lust in your heart.

But it goes even further! Christ’s standard of avoiding lust in the heart does not just apply to adultery, but to all sins that are in disobedience to righteousness.

Christian men. If you increase your lust for women by looking upon pornography, you are committing adultery! That is the condition of the heart.

Christian women. If you are imagining all kinds of ways for the man that has hurt you terribly to die and thinking over and over how much happier your life would be without him, you are guilty of killing him through your lust, even if you don’t commit the physical act! That is the condition of the heart.

Always consider the heart when you consider ALL sins, and you will have deep understanding of the increased Standards of Christ. If you don’t, you are breaking the requirements of Christ. And you are empowering the devil who tries to trick strong Christians through their hearts to sin; he knows that you are strong enough to avoid most sins; but the heart can be tricked through justification of inaction.

I am not a preacher, and I will not sermonize any more. Either you follow Him and keep His standards, or you do not. If you do not, and teach others through your life examples, you will not receive promotion on the New Earth, and you will never be the person God made you to be. If you continue with heart sin, you will suffer loss as Jesus takes away from your reward for not following His specific heart standards.

Posted on

Letter of rebuttal to Christian writer

I wrote a strong letter of rebuttal toward a fellow Christian worker, and I am very saddened to do it. He was arrogantly bragging upon his perceived five-fold gifts in an email to me, and declaring himself to be more superior than most Christian leaders as evidenced by His blessed apostleship, supernatural activities. What makes it even more sad, is the Holy Spirit laid it on my heart to share this on Facebook, because there are more faithful workers being led away from their walk with Christ daily. I pray that these words can stop the blind movement of even one of His cherished workers and bring them back to the Word of God.

Email begins:

I think we are in full agreement that the LORD God is moving key players into position for these End Times. I also believe that these chosen people are being graced with supernatural gifts to accomplish the tasks that God Wills, as necessary and for specific use.

What makes me nervous with your explanation, however, is that you talk about it, and I’m not seeing you prove it with His Word. Up to this point, I have been watching your ministry, and reading your words, to discern and consider your role in the various movements that are occurring now under the direction of our God and the wily countermoves of the devil.

This is what I know for certain. Those who are being equipped for the battle, those who are being raised up to bring His Will forward, those who are being placed in strategic spiritual minefields to clear the way for the lost to find their way toward Christ in these End Days aren’t talking about it. In fact, it is the quietness among His workers, the protection of the top secret things that we know and are preparing for that causes us to differ from our enemies. One part of that supernatural moving of God allows each of His True Workers to recognize the others who are faithful and trustworthy in His Kingdom.

Here is the biggest problem with the Internet; true workers for the LORD God are so busy trying to declare their authority, gifts and talents, to shut-up the naysayers and the laughing fools who challenge faithful work, that they stop doing the work of the Lord, and start playing into the agenda of carnal man. Part of that agenda includes causing the spiritual leaders to focus on proving themselves over and over and over, to write with words that sound heavenly and above the normal speak of man, and complicate the doctrine and points with an intelligent rendering that appears to go over the top of peoples heads, but makes the speaker a foolish toy to be manipulated and condemned.

So, my friend, let me put it in the simple words that I speak. Your doctrine as expressed in this letter is part of the movement of Satan to begin the establishment of his complete wicked rule. Your free use of terms that are recognized by me to have originated from specific movements by Lucifer, causes me to reject everything you say. And that makes me sad. Because I am not certain in my soul that you are doing the bidding of the devil. I have seen glimpses of light in some of the things you have shared, and I most certainly have considered the words you spoke while declaring a moving of the Holy Spirit. I have investigated your background, and have known for some time of the disdain of the general Christian community for you.

On the other hand, I am very familiar with these days, and know that many of His greatest workers are being placed in those same situations. You are a difficult one to weigh, my friend. I’ve made allowance for your grand speech patterns and polluted words that the devil sends my way often. I have chalked it up to the tremendous stresses each of the Faithful face daily in trying to accomplish the works God Wills with the assault of the wicked on the Internet trying to stop it at every turn.

Bluntly speaking, if you keep using the words that you are using today, if you continue to form your doctrine around the basis of these words you speak, you are going to be used in helping Satan establish his rule. You are not going to be aware of it, and in fact, you are going to feel empowered and powerful with many supernatural abilities given to you by the dark one, to delude you into thinking you are doing the things of God. The devil is going to blind you and manipulate you and cause you to reject anyone who tells you the truth. As I write this, I am praying that Jesus allows you to hear the words I am speaking, because truly, I am speaking to a friend in Christ, who desperately seeks to do His bidding, but has somehow become trapped in the enemies clutches.

It doesn’t have to be this way. I suspect that you took a wrong turn at a point when God had given you some great spiritual gifts, and the devil stepped in to teach you how to use them. Sometimes that happens, and is not as much your fault as it is the person who was tasked by God to ensure that you as a babe in Christ and new to the spiritual gifts would learn the correct way in welding them. I sure would be interested one day in learning the exact moment this happened to you, and would delight in making evil pay for trying to steal a lover of God away.

This is what you need to do. Start back at the beginning. Open your Bible and study. Build that foundation back up. See who God has placed in your path to help you get past the clutches of Satan, and move once again according to His Word.

Apparently, you are a valuable worker in His eyes, and even though you have been tricked, God has allowed you to continue to possess the skills in these confusing times. Apparently, you are valuable to me as a fellow worker and a Christian friend, to fight Satan where he has chosen to battle.

My friend, you are standing right there at a crossroads. If you choose the side of God, you may well feel depressed and little and unworthy as He reteaches you His Word and prevents you from using the gifts until you are skillful. If you choose the side of Satan, you will find your supernatural and five-fold gifts increasing in magnification, and you will feel lifted and empowered and as if you are standing in the midst of angels. But, it will be a delusion that is perpetuated upon you by the tricky evil one. Either way, you will be useful to one side or the other; it’s your choice.

I declare my love for you, I declare the same love that Jesus Christ has for you, and I will not shrink from the battle. While my inclination is to command the demons away from you, I am fearful that they will return sevenfold unless you return to the path God Wills in accordance with His Word.

It’s a tough place to be and you are going to have to choose the path. I wish I could say that there are very few who have been tricked in this manner; however, the truth is we are losing good Christian workers through this trickery on a daily basis. For that reason, I will be publishing my answer to you on Facebook with the personal info removed, and pray with my complete soul that hundreds of workers can recognize the trickery and come back to His Word. God’s Will be done.

Posted on

Dancing and leaping in the Holy Presence of the Lord

Something was very different one Christmas. My family gathered around the piano to sing our traditional Christmas songs of joy and praise in celebration of our Christ’s birth, but this year familiar faces were gone. We were smaller in number than we had been in last year. A few of our missing family members chose to walk the paths of the world, and were separated by their choices from participating in our spiritual celebration. One went even further down the path of destruction, and embraced the wicked ways of a life in darkness. So our numbers were down, and our voices leaner and strained as we struggled to carry on with our praises to God, in the midst of loss and pain.

Suddenly, in the middle of one of the songs rejoicing at Christ’s birth, I felt the surge of His Holy Spirit move through our family congregation. Our music stopped instantaneously, as each of us literally absorbed His comfort and love, as He moved within us to heal the pains of loss.

It was one of those moments when time stands still. It was silent. There was no music, there was no talking, there was no praying nor was there any of the familiar outbursts of joy that we commonly displayed in His Presence. We were too pained, too scarred, too needing of His Touch, that each of us became enveloped in His Presence, without thought of our own or each other’s time or place.

What a wonderful Touch it was. What a wonderful Christmas gift we received that day. Just as Christian’s burdens dropped from his shoulders in Pilgrims progress, our burdens of pain were removed and replaced with an even greater love than we had experienced before. With His healing presence, He brought a new and deeper understanding of Christmas Praise, and I wanted to share it with you.

The Ark of the LORD God, the vessel that the actual presence of the LORD God inhabited had been removed from the Tabernacle in Jerusalem by forces against Israel. Eventually, King David was determined to bring the Ark back to the place it belonged inside Jerusalem.

When the opportunity and time was right, He took his priests and prepared them to deliver the most Holy Ark. As they moved the Ark, the oxen that pulled the cart shook, and the Ark began to fall. Uzzah, one of the cart drivers, and a very holy and faithful man, reached out to catch the Ark before it fell. The LORD God became very angry at Uzzah for touching the Holy Ark, and He smote him immediately, causing his death.

David was very upset and angry that the LORD God would punish Uzzah so severely when he was just trying to help. David could not figure out how to prevent the same thing from happening again, so he stopped the movement of the Ark, and left it in a house along the way.

After leaving it at the house of Obededom, he saw that great blessings of the LORD God were being bestowed upon Obededom. These blessings were so much greater than the risk of moving the Ark to Jerusalem, that David chose to try the task once again.

This time, as the Ark was moved, King David went before it, dancing and leaping for the LORD God. He put on the simplest of garments, and danced with a joy, and sang with a praise that could be heard by all. He danced and shouted and trumpeted with all his might, announcing to all the the Holy Presence of the LORD GOD, and His Holy Ark were entering the city of Jerusalem. There was no doubt left in any mind, that the holiest presence was arriving in the place He Willed.

And so the King of Israel danced. He was seen to be dancing in the most unroyal way by a very royal daughter of a former King. She chastised David, reminded him of his position, and reprimanded him for his unkingly dance through the streets of Jerusalem.

His reply left no doubt to his position:

David would dance and leap and shout and sing and joyfully announce the presence of the LORD God, in the midst of human error and human frailties. There would be no doubt to the LORD God in Heaven that David knew the holiness of His Presence. There would be no doubt to the people of the world that were watching the movement of God, that His Holiness was moving among them.

Our Christmas gathering, and our Christmas songs took on a deeper meaning. We were announcing the arrival of our precious and holy Jesus Christ. We began dancing and leaping and praising God, shouting and blowing our trumpets of His Arrival! It mattered not who was with us, nor how others interpreted our celebration. We were announcing our joy of Christ’s birth, and our anticipation of His return, as the Holiness of the LORD God moved among our gathering.

My feet are still dancing! Praise be to God!

Posted on

LORD God’s Old Testament Laws or Jesus Christ’s Standards?

While Facebook friends argue back and forth about things like the different laws the Jews serve and how Christians may or may not have to follow them, it becomes confusing, doesn’t it? Old Testament following Christians have a difficult road to walk and it weakens their relationship with Christ.

Why make your Christian journey so tough? The Lord Jesus Christ took His time to teach the Disciples and all of us through His Word that is captured in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:1–7:29; Luke 6:20–49; 11:33–36; 12:22–34).

Every standard Christ teaches in His Sermon on the Mount are the things of behavior you should be emulating to look like and walk like Christ. Every standard of His is our rules of behavior as Christians. My hopes are that you are teaching young Christians these standards every day. Your Lord Jesus Christ expects Christian leaders to be displaying these standards of behavior in their own walk with Him and teaching them to those that are learning to be a Christian.

Now here is a very deep mystery that hardly any Christians realize completely. If you follow all the standards recorded in the New Testament, you will be following God’s law perfectly! We do not follow the law specifically. We follow the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ teaches us His standards, God’s standards, and His disciples pick up establishing and teaching standards where He left off when He left this earth. The Holy Spirit flows through each Christian so they can follow the standards of Christ.

So instead of focusing on the law, let us focus upon the standards of Christ, and try to meet each of them. We don’t have time or the spirit to follow Old Testament law. Christ’s standards reflect God’s law in a different light, one that ultimately loves others as themselves.

That is why I said it was confusing to me why Facebook friends argue among themselves whether to follow the Old Testament laws. It is of no importance to focus on the singular laws without the teaching of God placed upon them. That would be going backwards in our developed Christian faith.

The Commandments, statutes and ordinance of the LORD God given to the Jewish people were the beginning of forming a relationship with humans. There were no teachings, per se, given to them. The law was absolute and unforgiving. Either you obeyed all the laws (often confused by the Pharisees and the rabbis) and adhered to all the LORD God’s rules, or you were in disobedience to Him.

When the Lord Jesus Christ came, he taught the meaning of those laws of the Old Testament given by the LORD God to mankind. No longer a black/white, obey/disobey stringent representation of the laws, they became open to the teachings of Christ. Remember this teaching:

Matthew 5:27–28 (KJV 1900)

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

We learn from Jesus that the Law said don’t commit adultery; but He added a new teaching, that adultery was more than just an affair with a married person. The Lord taught that with His coming to earth, He will teach the real meaning of the law, not just the absolutes. The real meaning of the law that the LORD God made was if you look lustfully upon a woman, you commit adultery with your heart! The standards have changed! Before it was the absolute law; now it became the fulfilled law with a need to fully understand not only the rule but also the reason, ways, and the consequences of breaking that law.

Have you ever heard that it is impossible for Jews to keep the Laws of the LORD God, thus they have no way to be obedient to Him? And that as Christians, we have it easy, because we have the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive all our sins and keep us in obedience to God?

It seems to me that sentiment is a bit backwards. The standards of the Lord Jesus Christ do not only support the Laws of the LORD God but are also more detailed and consider the things going on in the heart also. Are Christians supposed to obey the Laws of the LORD God spoken in the Old Testament? Followers of Jesus Christ not only obey the Laws spoken in the Old Testament, but they also must obey Christ’s standards of the heart also.

It is a narrower road we walk with Christ, not a wider one that the Jews walk upon.

Christians that don’t understand that they should focus on Christ’s teachings, rather than on the Old Testament laws, never reach the higher standards that the Lord Jesus Christ has set for His followers. And if a Christian does not reach those standards, then that Christian is not walking the way of Christ. Period.

Posted on

Practical Advice for Teachers of the Word of God

Teachers of the Word of God know the things to be avoided through the study of His Word, and the many warnings to false teachers contained within it. We even prepared a worksheet for all our teachers in training so they would easily identify the characteristics of false teachers and consciously avoid their ways. Of course, when the LORD God chooses a person to become a Teacher of His Word, then that person’s character, ways and will are toward Him, and not inclined to be a false teacher. However, care must always be taken not to emulate even in the smallest way any characteristic known to be possessed by a false teacher.

There is more to being a teacher of the Word of God, than just avoiding these false characteristics. There is a practical approach to the systematic teaching of His Word, and there is a proven way that most spiritual teachers embrace as the pattern of their elders. The mature, experienced and successful teachers of God’s Word follow these things:

1. Speak the things that God has led you to teach and always from His Word. Avoid talking about familiar, popular, hip things, unless you are led to use them as an example to make His Word understood by the student. Do not speak as a friend or a peer. A teacher of God’s Word must be respected. Remember, honor is never shown among friends who are equal.

2. Lead the study always. Do not lose control of the places or things that the LORD God has moved you to teach that day. Be alert to conversations straying from the points, and guide them back to the main topics as soon as you can. A teacher of God’s Word is not concerned with a students self improvement ideas, nor a students desires for the lessons to go in a place other than where it is it is being led by God.

3. Stay consistent in your presentation of materials. When the students sit down for the purpose of learning, they should automatically know how the class will proceed. No learning can take place in a free for all, fun times setting. Classes must be structured and predictable, leaving no doubt in the students mind what is expected of him.

4. Know your material. The basic foundation of study that God has placed in your hands should be completely familiar to you. That basic foundation will always be the starting point for the Holy Spirit to guide you deeper to the places and things He wants taught on that day, to that student.

5. Have a spiritual partner assist you. When the Teacher of the LORD God is being moved by the Holy Spirit and delivering His deep mysteries, then all disruptions and interruptions must be avoided. It is vital that a spiritual partner help maintain the quiet learning essential when the soul of the person is receiving knowledge. Partners also help guide the students back to topic and bring questions and comments to the attention of the teacher when they go unnoticed. Most importantly, a spiritual partner keeps the Teacher correct. The partner listens closely for any straying from point or doctrine, and immediately speaks up in a respectful way if the Teacher loses the way.

6. Never take things personally. When a student has an emotional outburst of anger, sadness or even joy, then those emotions belong to the LORD God. If a teacher has properly presented the Word of God, then it is God who the student is having emotions with, and it is God who will deal with those emotions, using the teacher to comfort as He Wills.

7. Never reveal the personal things of your students to others. The very nature of the work of teacher requires example to be given, and most usually, that example come from earlier students actions and interactions. Develop a way of teaching examples without revealing personal information that is identifiable to any student that you have ever had in the past. Keep the secrets and deeply personal things of your students, secrets forever. Hold close the things of soul that are revealed in your presence, and never reveal them to another.

8. Recognize the total and complete responsibility that a Teacher of the Word of God assumes. It is a tough job being a Teacher of the Word of God. The Teacher exposes himself to a heavier judgment in the case he commits transgression in his teachings. A person should not even consider being a Teacher of the Word of God if he is not able to handle the Word perfectly, and able to control and restrain his natural and spiritual life. A Teacher of the Word of God is a dangerous profession and one that puts the Teacher at great risk of severe judgment if he does his job improperly. His focus of ministry must always be to turn a student’s life around when his steering is being violently shaken by the conflicts of the spiritual nature of righteousness and the natural nature of sin. A good Bible Teacher encourages a strong and steady walk with Jesus Christ, as the Truth of the Word of God is handled perfectly in accordance with His Will.

9. Most importantly, pray, and study, and walk the walk of Jesus Christ perfectly. A Teacher of the Word of God must be spiritually strong and keen to the Things of the LORD God, and ready to teach them as He Wills.

error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)