Top Bible Passages – January

Keeping it simple tonight with top three six Bible passages of January from my studies.

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. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”  (Galatians 2:20-21)

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”  (Psalms 12:6-7)

Are You Sure

I want you to think for a moment about a pretty serious question:

Do you know where you will spend eternity when you die?

If you do how do you know?

These aren’t trick questions mind you, but questions I am going to start asking people when I meet them. Obviously I will tweak things based on the situation and individual but I want to really step up my efforts to reach the lost in this world. And I am not just a gonna assume a person is saved and miss an opportunity.

I will ask. If they are (I’ll be able to see that by the answer to the second question) praise God I just met a brother or sister in Christ if not I will ask if they want to know how they can know and be sure or deal with a false trust in works. Then I will take them through the Scriptures showing their problem of needing a Savior because they have sinned against God, once they see the need I’ll give them the solution and just simply present the gospel from Scripture; that Christ died for their sins was buried to eternally remove them all and rose the third day for their justification before God, giving us eternal life in Him. I’ll explain in depth using a Bible if time and setting allow, or make it short and to the point using a tract and memorized verses if not.

Either way after giving them the good news I will ask if they understand and want to accept the gift of eternal life through Christ by believing what He did for them, that that’s all they have to do. All they can do, for any works they try to add such as a confession, water Baptism, praying that prayer, repentance, etc. will just condemn them, the only way to be saved is trusting in the shed blood of Christ to save us. It’s His faith through the Cross and if we add to it then we are rejecting that truth, rejecting Him.

If they believe that hallelujah praise God another soul is saved, if not then I tried. Either way I will give them some Bible pamphlet or tracts depending on how it went with a way to contact me for Bible Study, questions or information. I want to see the lost saved the best way to do that is take it on like Paul and always be about sharing the good news.

So I ask you my friends,

Do you know where you will spend eternity when you die? If so how do you know? If not do you want to know how you can be sure?

I am just a comment or email away if you want to talk.

ar3volut1on@outlook.com

The Gap

I shared the brief video on this a couple nights ago and said get ready as I was gonna get into the meat of this somewhat misunderstood and misrepresented gap that explains precisely why God is forming the Body of Christ and sheds much light on who Satan is and what his agenda is. Before I start though let me be 100% clear on something, I mean crystal okay.

I am not an evolutionist, never have been (even before I got saved that seemed like a ginormous pill to swallow and I didn’t buy it), and I never will be. I am a complete creationist – I believe in the beginning God and I believe our earth of today was created in six literal 24 hour days. I am not “trying to accommodate the evolutionary ages” as Henry Morris and other opponents of the gap like to falsely claim of all who see the gap. The gap theory as they call it was not developed in the 1800’s to give the great ages evolution demands.

Macro evolution, which is what they are referring to by the term evolution, is impossible no matter how much time is allowed. Nothing didn’t explode into rocks that got rained on and made soup which somehow came alive and eventually became the complex creatures God created.

“First I was tadpole long and thin, then I was a frog for with my tail tucked in, then I was a monkey swinging from a tree, now I’m a doctor with a PhD.”

Is never gonna be anything more than a ridiculous fairytale no matter how much scientists so called repeat it. So let’s look at a brief rundown of the history of the gap so you won’t be led astray by the lies of those who don’t understand God’s Word rightly divided and rely on modern perversions and scholars so called to oppose it (I am talking about the creationists like Morris and the evolutionists here!)

The going story is that a preacher from the 1800’s, Chalmers (1780-1847), invented the gap as a compromise that accommodated Darwin’s theory of evolution. I’m gonna call bunko on that. Darwin wrote his theory in 1859, twelve years AFTER Chalmer’s died. The gap couldn’t possibly have been invented to support Darwin’s theory. Besides that rather too obvious to ignore truth there’s the fact that Chalmer’s was NOT an evolutionist, wasn’t the first to teach the gap (in fact he credits it to Episcoupis who lived from 1583-1643), and believed in the six 24 hour days of Genesis 1. Well just read what Chalmers says about gap creationism and Genesis 1:1

“My own opinion, as published in 1814, is that it forms no part of the first day but refers to a period of indefinite antiquity when God created the worlds out of nothing. The commencement of the first day’s work I hold to be the moving of God’s Spirit upon the face of the waters.”

Pember (1837-1910), a Plymouth Brethern preacher taught the gap in his book “Earth’s Earliest Ages”; as did Bullinger, Scofield, Larkin and pretty much every dispensational author taught the gap.

I say all this not to say I agree with these men or that it is their belief in the gap that influences my belief in it, as I do not base my views on any issue on the opinions and ideas of men but solely on God’s Word. I first came to see the gap through my studies of God’s Word alone, I mention them only to show that people do see it.

Scripture doesn’t say precisely how old the earth is and creationists who dogmatically insist it is 6,000 years old make a mistake as they reject outright several verses of the Bible that show the gap. God didn’t say when He originally created the earth in Genesis 1:1 and thus we can’t know the time elapsed between 1:1 and 1:2 when it’s reconstruction began. Nor is the time really the important issue. The real issue is why was it reconstructed?

Now let me just make one observation here. I know we like to think we are the end all and be all of everything but seriously what do you think God was doing before he made man about 6,000 years ago? Just sitting up there somewhere twiddling His thumbs and thinking “Hmmm, maybe we should do something.” Trust me our infinite and eternal God was not just doing nothing for eternity past, ok.

Opponents of the gap try to claim there is no Biblical support for it, no Scriptural reason to believe there is a gap. They try to say we are following man and not the Bible but that couldn’t be farther from the truth as I am about to show with just 10 of the numerous verses that point to the gap like flashing neon arrows.

1. Paul referred to Genesis 1:2-4 as a type of salvation in the verses below:

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Man was created, then ruined by sin, but when we believe on Christ we are regenerated.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2:10)

God used His Spirit and His Word to bring us out of darkness into light!

“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”  (Acts 26:18)

The gap gives us a depiction of a fallen ruined creation succeeding it’s ruined past and being reborn a new creature.

2. There has been rebellion against God in both heaven before the world began and earth since it began. This is evident by God’s two-fold purpose to restore all things both heavenly and earthly back to His government.

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”  (Colossians 1:16)

God’s purpose to establish His kingdom on earth has to do do with Israel and has been fore told by His prophets since the world began.

“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”  (Acts 3:21)

The mystery of the Body of Christ has to with the heavens however and was a secret hidden in God until revealed by the risen glorified Christ to Paul.

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”  (2 Timothy 1:9)

The Body of Christ is God’s response to the rebellion among the heavenly host in eternity past. It is His answer to the challenge of Lucifer at his fall before the world began. We know that Angles existed when God laid the foundations of the earth and set the boundaries of the seas as we learn in Job 38:1-11 (for the sake of space I’ll let you read that on your own). If God had created the angels during the first six days of which we are given so much detail why are they left out of the record? Because they were made before day one even began in Genesis 1:3, they were created in Genesis 1:1 in eternity past and that is why they rejoiced at the words “Let there be Light”! Adam was placed in the very area where God’s city and throne once stood on the original earth. That made Lucifer pretty mad and he set about his diabolical plan to usurp the dominion God gave Adam.

3. Every verses in Genesis 1 after 1:1 begins with “And” thus always moving the narrative forward, never referring to the previous verse. Verse 2 is not a description of verse 1 which ends with a period but is the next step. The descriptive language of 1:2 matches other verses that clearly speak of judgement.

“I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.”  (Jeremiah 4:23)

How in this only other time the phrase “without form, and void” is used in Scripture did it get in this ruined condition? In Jeremiah 4:26 we see the answer.

“I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.”  (Jeremiah 4:26)

It is clear that Jeremiah is talking about a yet future judgement when we read the full passage, but by comparing Scripture with Scripture as taught in 1 Corinthians 2:13 we can see that the earth becomes “without form and void” as the result of God’s judgement. Further emphasizing this are the words “deep” and “darkness”which are often associated with judgement in the Bible. Study it out and you’ll see.

4. God just outright said He didn’t create the earth in vain.

“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.”  (Isaiah 45:18)

God doesn’t create in stages; it doesn’t say he created the beasts and they were without form and void. To suggest He spoke the earth that way insults and doubts His

“…his work is perfect:…”  (Deuteronomy 32:4)

5. Opponents say that by believing there is a gap we are reading something into the passage that is not there. Come on, you guys know me well enough by now to know that is not true. I am a literalist through and through, I don’t spiritualize, allegorize or add to Scripture at all. I read the words and let them say what they say in the plain, normal reading of it. Besides there are other gaps in the Bible and they don’t mind those gaps. Take this passage in Daniel:

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”  (Daniel 9:26-27)

Big ole gapping gap there if we cross reference it – Jesus died almost 2,000 years ago but that semicolon has been going on pretty long now. There are gaps and just because God doesn’t spell out plainly why judgement occurred in Genesis 1 in no way implies it didn’t occur. We must always compare scripture with scripture in order to gain a full spiritual understanding of God’s plan and purpose. That’s why we are told to do so in verses such as:

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”  (2 Peter 1:20)

6. “Created” does not mean the same thing as “made”. Created means to bring into existence out of nothing while made means to use pre-existing materials to form something. “Created” is only used twice in the six days while “made” is used often even in the same passage as “created” thus further emphasizing the difference in meaning as they are used about different aspects of the same subject. God created mans soul when He created Him in His image but he made man’s body from the dust of the ground. He created the sea life also but the plant life was “brought forth” out of the earth from what was already there.

7. “Replenish the earth” was the command given to Adam in the garden as well as to Noah after the Flood in Genesis 9:1. Adam was a son of God just as the Angels arenas it was sons of God, Angels, on the earth before Adam, the original earth that is. Corrupt translations of the Bible use the word “fill” rather than “replenish” in Genesis 1:28.

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”  (Genesis 1:28)

But there is a big difference between the word “fill” which is what God used in reference to the sea life (side note: there wasn’t any sea on the original earth in eternity past just as Revelation 21:1 tells us there won’t be one on the new earth in eternity future; and the word “replenish” which means it was already filled once and is being refilled again.

8. The Reginald earth’s destruction by water is referenced in this passage:

“And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:”  (2 Peter 3:4-6)

Opponents of the gap try to say that it’s talking about the Flood of Noah’s day but that doesn’t make sense. The world didn’t”perish” in Noah’s flood, granted a lot of people and animals did but eight people and a whole bunch of animals didn’t perish, and for that matter the earth was just covered in water it didn’t have to be completely reformed! In verse 6 of this passage Peter is speaking of “the beginning of creation” as the context shows by reading verse 4. The past judgement Peter is speaking of corresponds to the future judgement when God will once again destroy the heavens and earth so that he can make a new heaven and earth as verses 8-13 show (you can read those yourselves for space sake, this is getting very long.). It bears noting that the heavens were not destroyed in Noah’s flood either.

9. The connection between history and prophecy points to the gap.

“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”  (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

There is a correspondence between how the Bible opens and closes in Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 21:1.

We know there is a future rebellion of Satan that will culminate in the destruction of this earth and a new one coming down from heaven as we see in Revelation 20:7-21:1. And so it was in eternity past when Lucifer fell. Earth is the center of the universe (not our solar system) and God will put His city and throne back in it’s rightful place on day in the future, where it once was in eternity past. Thus eternity future corresponds perfectly with eternity past.

10. Gap opponents say that there was no sin or death before Adam sinned but think about that story for a minute. Satan and Eve both sinned before Adam did, (don’t believe me read this post. ). They use this as a proof text:

Without considering that this verse is only talking about the world of mankind. Uhm, Satan’s master plan. Some even say that pointing out the obvious and seeing the gap that is clearly there undermines the gospel! The claim is that if Lucifer fell before Genesis 2:3 then God could not have said that everything He made was good in 1:31. Not true. The first thing God says is good is Light in verse 4, but Lucifer was made and fell between verses 1 and 2. God’s statement in verses 31 is limited to what He had just made in the previous six day from Genesis 1:3-30. He’s talking about this earth and it’s solar system; Satan’s habitation however was not on this earth but is in heaven as the following verses show:

“Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.”  (Job 15:15)

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”  (Ephesians 2:2)

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”  (Revelation 12:7-9)

God did not call the second heaven, what we call space, good in 1:8!

“And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”  (Genesis 1:8)

I know this was a very long post on the gap but I think it is very clear that the Bible tells us there is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. But don’t take my word for it study it out. Search the Scriptures and see, that’s what I do and it never disappoints me but instead I grow in my walk with God daily as I read and hear what He is teaching me through His Word. In a day or so I will cover the Scriptural narrative of Lucifer’s fall but I think this was plenty for one day. As alway my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ may you rest secure eternally gripped in His glorious grace.

Glorious Grace

I have a request of all that read this message, I want you to read the following list of verses and ponder in your heart the glorious riches of the grace of God and how very deeply He loves you! So much that while you were yet a sinner Christ died for you a brutal horrific death that was meant for you, your sins nailed him there. Then he was buried to take your sins away, He descended to the very depths of hell and left them all their – your past, present and future sins (after all they were all future when He died) before crossing the divide across which the rich man had gazed longingly as he suffered eternal torment and agony in that very hell to Abraham’s bosom, paradise and emptied it of the saints waiting patiently for their Lord to one day come. Then the third day He rose from the grave victoriously justifying all who believe in Him for all eternity before God thus our salvation is solely by His glorious grace a free gift we don’t deserve and we can never do anything to earn but God gives us from the rich depths of His love.

Gaps

I’m working on several big posts involving the gaps in Scripture and particularly the first one where Satan fell, this video by Brother David OSteen gives a very good introduction of this so I thought I would share it tonight, look into and be ready for my full post in the next day or two.

New In The Son

We live in a world that is completely jacked up, it’s a hot mess of trouble with a capital T! But you know what, it won’t always be this way because it’s all going to pass away when God makes all things new in the future out there, more than a thousand years from now.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”  (2 Peter 3:10-13)

“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.”  (Revelation 21:1-5)

But the good news is we don’t have to wait that long to experience some amazing new eternal things!

Since there’s nothing new under the sun, then we must look above it to the Son! The Son of God, Christ Jesus who saved us out of this messed up world through His death, burial and resurrection- we just have to believe that and accept it, it’s the free gift of God. The instant we do then we are a changed, sealed by the Holy Spirit and made one in Christ. As such we are seated with Christ in heavenly places.

Where our conversation is,

That means we are to set our affections on things above not things here on earth.

Remember, I said we are changed, boy are we ever. Our old sinful filthy man is made new in Christ, that old man is dead and we have life in our Savior. New life! Glory be to God we are changed and made new!

Actually there are so many new things we have in Christ but tonight I want to look at just 7. Seven “new” things we have in Christ.

1. New Birth

2. New Man

3. Newness of Life

4. New Song

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”  (Psalms 40:1-3)

5. New Purpose

6. New Body

7. New Eternal Destiny

Just look at that list, think about what it really means. We are new things IN the Son! That truth is absolutely amazing and my dear beloved brothers and sisters in Christ I pray always that you know that you are made new in Him, for ever and always new and eternally gripped in His glorious grace.

A Sinner Saved

I found this poem the other day one a website I visit occasionally and just wanted to share it with you. The author does not give his name only initials. **Please note that the reference to the pool of Siloam is not referring to water Baptism but to the spiritual cleansing we have through the shed blood of Christ and our spiritual baptism into him by the Holy Spirit, true belief in Christ’s death to pay for our sins, burial to remove them all forever and resurrection to justify us before God is all that’s needed; nary a drop of water required.

About 10 years ago, I think,
I stared into my favorite drink.
I ask myself how I got here,
All confused and full of fear.
Was I not raised in a moral home -
With "The Church" as its back bone?
My family was for sure a part
Of those that God had set apart.
 
How then did I fall so far
like a distant shooting star?
A piece was missing from my life
a void not filled by my child or wife.
"I need More!" my heart cried out.
"This can't be what life's all about."
"Why has religion taught to me,
These things I'm not equipped to be?"
 
I realized something was not right.
I was lost and blind and had no light.
Everyone else was good and pure;
their lives had such a strong allure.
How could I have been forgot
by the God my family's church had taught?
 
Then one day my friend stopped by,
Another bad immoral guy.
He said "I think Christ's coming back."
I almost had a heart attack!
"Oh great," I said ... "Thanks a lot!"
"We are sinners .... have you forgot?"
He said "I don't know what to say,
but we've got to be in 'church' Friday."
 
Something told me loud and clear
there was a message we must hear.
I heard the Gospel clear that night
and Calvary's Cross was there in sight.
And then before I knew a thing,
I went to work for my Great King.
 
I labored morning, noon and night;
my sword held high in a desperate fight
against the Devil, the evil one,
to finish the battle Christ begun.
I never learned of the finished work
and I must have looked like such a jerk.
 
I didn't know the work was done
when Jesus, God's only begotten Son,
went into Hell to take away
the Sin of the world on that Wednesday.
God did not spare His darling Son
because, my sin, He had become.
 
"How," you ask, "can this be true -
Did He die for just a few?"
Oh no, He took it ALL away.
Not just the sins of yesterday.
Tomorrow's sins are all gone too.
He finished the cup - For us, it's through.
 
BUT now it must be up to us?
God's put his hope and trust in us!
I assume He must want me to DO
the work with which He wasn't through.
Or is there now NO condemnation?
Was He the propiciation
for ALL sin and now it's DONE...
Had Satan lost and Jesus Won?
 
It's just so hard to comprehend:
I'm not His servant ... I'm His friend.
I've worked and gave all that I could.
"God must KNOW me! or at least He should."
I know I sin, but I confess.
Doesn't that count for righteousness?
 
I'm so confused with all I've herd;
Each "Christian" has a different Word.
God's NOT the author of confusion.
which leads me then to this conclusion:
If salvation is by Grace
and you add some works, even a trace;
Then God's Grace becomes something new.
"O FOOLISH Galations, who hath bewitched you?"
 
I got discouraged bad one day.
I threatened God, "I'll walk away!"
"I'll go into that bar and drink;
believe me I am at the brink."
I tempted God's that summer day,
"Come here and take this drink away!"
He didn't stop me from my sin.
Saved? I guess I'd never been.
 
They said I was a new creation.
What now of this situation?
I thought I could no longer sin.
The old me somehow crept back in.
Did Jesus take my sin away?
Or must I forever pay and pay?
Is it DO or is it DONE?
am I a slave or am I His son?
'Saved by Grace and Kept by Works'
These are the argued Gospel quirks.
My heart had not discerned between
all that I had quickly seen.
 
"They must be right...Aren't they are the bride?"
But why then do they try to hide
when God says "Adam, where are you?"
It puzzles me and I wish I knew
why they run each day and hide
the little boy and girl inside.
 
They cover up their nakedness
and all their sins they do confess
and always they will do their best
to hide with all the naked rest
behind the trees of Religion,
the church that Adam first begun.
 
Then one day I saw the light,
as a man named Jesus gave me sight.
He spat upon the ground and made
an earthen vessel of the clay
that He might use to touch mine eyes
to tear off this worlds great disguise.
To the pool of Siloam, He then sent me,
I washed there and I came seeing.
 
A misfit I did then become
to the group of which, I then was one.
They said that I was never blind.
In a great deception I'd been in twined.
I told them all "I know for sure
I found my PEACE, my HOPE, my CURE.
He IS REAL! He lives in me!
The Truth has finally set me free!"
 
I don't now have much fellowship.
The narrow road's a lonely trip.
My Jesus and I have left behind
the righteous, moral, unsaved blind,
who never realized the cost
Jesus paid because they were lost.
 
And now, I return to the start.
How was I saved and set apart?
I first got lost and realized I
was tried and sentenced once to die.
Just like Isaac, was bound and laid
upon the altar his father made.
 
"'Where is the Lamb for the sacrifice?"
I cried out from that very place.
I looked and saw a ram was caught.
Now He would die and I would not.
The ram then laid there in my stead.
I saw Him bleed till He was dead.
The wood was then set all ablaze.
It burned to ashes while I gazed.
 
I go and visit that place a lot.
It's been a while, but I've not forgot
at what price I was set free;
I ask you all to look and SEE.
There's nothing left for me to do -
God's satisfied with His substitute.
 
I'll clarify this for all of you,
even for only one or two.
The Ram I speak of was nothing less
than the Son of Righteousness.
Jesus himself took my place
at Calvary and hung in disgrace.
 
He said, "It is finished" with a loud voice
Just to give us all a choice
To look to Him and see His love,
to die to the flesh and be born from above.
All anyone now must ever do
is believe IN YOUR HEART He died for you.
 
Once you know what He did for us,
You will fall in love with my Jesus.
Then all at once He'll be real to you
and you'll never again ask a man what to do.
You will never again have to ask what to pray
because in you will live the light, truth and the way.
 
I can't save anyone cause I'm only clay
but believe me when I tell you that I know the Way.
And you can too, If your willing to seek
my Savior, the Redeemer of which I speak.
 
You MUST get to know Him, and then if you do,
I know you will fall in love with Him too.
You'll have less friends but you won't be alone -
you'll be flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone.
 
This is the Good News to all them that hear
as the end of the age of grace draws near.
"Cease your works and rest in Him."
JH/1997

Bible Study the Bible Way

I’ve had numerous conversations of late about a topic that is so critical and important to a believers walk with Christ, yet is ignored by the vast majority of people today it seems, or if they do give it some attention it isn’t proper attention according to God’s instructions instead they question and critique, allegorize and sanitize, chop it up and blend it smooth till it’s as bland and flavorless as plain yogurt. (I got that stuff once by mistake, good grief that is the most flavorless strange stuff, bleh!). That’s not how God says to do it though and believe me He gives us very specific and detailed instructions in His Word on how to study it to get the most from it, to be properly edifies and a fruitful member of the body of Christ. So let’s look at how to study the Bible the Bible way.

First get the right Bible, ok. All Scripture is given by God and preserved for us today, not in the originals only as many want to claim since those are long since gone back to dust but in copies and a translation for each language group. This is proven in Scripture:

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”  (Psalms 12:6-7)

“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto 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:”  (2 Timothy 3:15-16)

The Words of the Lord are pure words, and God will keep them through all generations for ever. It’s obvious that Timothy was being taught the Old Testament Scriptures by his mom and grandma and trust me they weren’t originals, they were copies. So it’s a given that God’s Word has been preserved in the English language and I can study it to know Him and walk ever closer to Him. But as I said I have to have the right Bible one that actually does preserve the Words of God. So in English that’s the King James Bible. Don’t believe me, think just any version will do or the KJV is too antiquated and hard to read. Hate to burst your bubble but the KJV reads at a 5th grade level, 80% of the words are one syllable and in it every word God wanted us to have is included and all the ones he didn’t left out. I won’t go into this fully but you can read much more about why I stand firm that the King James Bible is the only Bible in the English language and all versions since it are Satanic perversions meant to deceive and weaken the body of Christ in The Westcott and Hort Slasher Fest series. If you don’t have a King James Bible you can use Blue Letter Bible online or contact me for other options.

Once you have your Bible then you need to remember to read it plainly, literally just let it say what it says and don’t go trying to make like the plain yogurt okay – it’s like your favorite rich creamy flavor already without any help from you (cherry, it’s like black cherry.)

Now get busy to study the Bible the Bible way.

Search the Bible to see if what the preacher, minister, priest, bishop, friend, neighbor, spouse has told you is true. Search it to see if the traditions or what you have always thought was true is true.

That is the one verse in the Bible that uses the word study (meaning study God’s Word) and it tells you just how to do it; rightly divide it. Now if you didn’t believe me about the King James and are still using one of the translations that came after it then this verse is gonna be all jacked up. In the modern translations it says some garbage about properly handling the Word but folks that is not even close to rightly divide the Word of Truth.

Rightly Dividing is when you look at who a passage is written to and by, when they wrote it and why. See all Scripture is for you but it ain’t all about or to you! Not every piece of mail that comes to your house is to you is it, Bible’s no different. You have to pay attention to Paul’s epistles that are the instructions from the glorified risen Christ to us today. Christ during his earthly ministry and the Twelve apostles as well as John the Baptist preached what is called the Kingdom Gospel only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, part of the prophecy program spoken of since the world began; Paul however,

as the apostle to the Gentiles after Israel rejected their Messiah and thus fell at the stoning of Stephen when God put them in time out and paused their prophetic program, was given the revelation of the mystery of the grace of God which God had hidden in Himself since BEFORE the world began. The prophetic program of Israel is found in the books of the old Testament and the Gospels, which Paul refers to as “times past”, Acts acts as a bridge between the prophetic Kingdom program and the mystery program revealed to Paul- it documents Israel’s rejection of Christ and subsequent fall as Paul, the chief of sinners, is saved and his ministry of the gospel of God’s grace in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ replaces the kingdom gospel.

This age of grace or mystery hid in God is referred to as “but now” by Paul and will continue until the saints of today which make up what is referred to as the Body of Christ is caught up in the air at its close in the event commonly referred to as the rapture. (And no the body of Christ is not the bride as the majority of church like to teach, the bride is the New Jerusalem which is a Jewish city read Revelation 21 and pay attention to the details. ). You won’t find the body of Christ so much as hinted at anywhere in the Old Testament or Gospels, Jesus didn’t speak of it at anytime during His earth ministry and nary a prophet one had any inkling it was coming- they saw the cross or at least should have but the mystery of the age of grace was just that a mystery. You can only find the body of Christ Christ in Paul’s epistles Romans through Philemon, that’s the books written to us today where we are to go for all our doctrines and to understand how God is dealing with man today (He deals with man differently throughout time – take Adam, Noah, Abraham and the good rules each had vegetarian, anything goes, by by bacon.).

So far we have times past which is Israel’s prophetic kingdom program currently on pause while God forms the body of Christ in this current dispensation of grace which will end one day, possibly very soon, and the “ages to come ” will kick in after the body of Christ is caught up. Basically they encompass the fulfillment of Israel’s prophetic kingdom program with Daniels 70th week and the millennium reign of Christ on earth then eternity! The instructions for those Jewish believers who will go through what is often called the Tribulation, Daniels 70th week, and on into the kingdom of heaven established under Christ as he takes his rightful place on the throne of David are found in the books of Hebrews through Revelation.

Now I just gave you more sound Bible teaching in less than five minutes than you’ll get in 50 years in any non-rightly dividing church. Just keep the timeline in mind as you study: times past – prophecy- Israel; but now – mystery- body of Christ; ages to come – prophecy- Israel.

You have to go to Paul for today’s gospel and for the edification of the believers in this age.

Now down to the last two main principles of Biblical Bible Study.

Isaiah 28:10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Proverbs 27:17  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

These two kinda go hand in hand and both deal with some common study aides built right into Scripture for us. You don’t need all those books about the Bible: stop wasting money reading man’s opinion of God’s Word, read God’s word yourself and get His opinion. All you need is a Bible, possibly a concordance or Bible software (Blue Letter Bible works well), and to these two simple rules:

Rule of first mention: use this to help define a word in its biblical use, the meaning or usage given to word the first time its used tells us what God thinks of a word or topic.

Rule of subsequent narrative: Scripture is written in such a way that we must study it to get the most out of it, work or effort put forth to fully understand a passage or event makes it a treasure and is how God wanted the Bible written.

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”  (2 Peter 1:20)

I realize I am giving you a lot of information here but it’s kind of deliberate and is absolutely necessary. I am challenging you to follow Acts 17:11 and 2 Timothy 2:15 to see if what I say here is true. Study it out, look at all the verses, get in the Bible and binge like it’s your favorite Netflix show!

Study my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ to show thyself approved before God, be workmen who need not be ashamed.

The Religious Man

Let me tell you a story of a future event, 
if you're reading this it's no accident.
The man in this story could even be you, 
but don't jump to conclusions, wait till you're through. 
 
It all took place at the great white throne. 
A small naked man was there standing alone. 
He stood there with rancor, disgust and unease; 
I could tell just by looking he was not at all pleased. 
  
Then a voice said "No Lord. His name is not here." 
The man blurted, out without one ounce of fear, 
"This is outrageous! Let me see that book! 
I'm not a fornicator, liar or crook." 
  
"I've kept all the rules and every tradition, 
supported the cause and held high position. 
I don't break the law. I'm a good, moral man. 
I set an example and help where I can." 
  
"In all of my days, I've not taken a life. 
I loved all my children, my friends and my wife. 
You can ask anybody in the whole earth, 
I've never mistreated a soul from my birth." 
  
"I deserve to be given all that I've earned. 
I will not be carried away to be burned. 
I demand to see who it is that's in charge 
there's been a mistake here; one that's quite large." 
  
"I'm supposed to be lifted away in the sky. 
Why am I standing here? I demand to know Why! 
What do mean that that time came and went? 
I've been saying my prayers and fasting for Lent." 
  
"I've gone to confession and counted my beads, 
I've helped out my neighbors and those that had needs. 
Who is in charge here? ... I demand to know who!" 
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) 
Then a thundering voice, like many waters, rushed through. 
  
"I AM", He said, "The Way you do not know. 
You chose in your life the way you would go. 
You followed the way that seems right unto man. 
You followed the Great Whore's counterfeit plan." 
  
"Like a thief and a robber you've tried to come in. 
You've brought me your own self made offering for sin. 
Your filthy rags will not be accepted 
because all of your life it was me you've rejected." 
  
"I loved you dear sinner with my dying breath. 
I suffered for you the torture of death. 
And now an eternity for you shall begin. 
Take him from me ... I never knew him." 
  
I can still hear the that naked man screaming today 
"Please, Please forgive me. Don't send me away." 
If I'd only known, I would have tried harder; 
even laid down my life for the church as a martyr. 
  
Then a Saint leaned over and softly rehearsed 
in the ears of my heart a sweet precious verse.* 
I knew in a heartbeat it was dear brother Paul, 
The fellow from Tarsus they used to call Saul. 
  
Then after he quoted the verse once again 
He said, "Here's what it means, let me explain. 
For all those like him," he said, "it's the same; 
They follow the pathway of works just like Cain. 
Cain offered the fruits of his labor, as pay, 
but it was Abel that came by the Blood Sprinkled Way." 
  
I see now how desperately wicked man is; 
There's nothing more reprobate than a mind such as his. 
This self righteous man, though too late, finally learned 
he would now be given ALL that he'd earned - 
An eternal separation from my Holy God 
out of His presence just like Cain was in Nod. 
  
Now, if you've ask yourself, "could this be me?" 
The answer my friend is quite easy to see. 
Is your way bloodless, like the offering of fruit? 
or have you offered the Lamb as your substitute? 
  
If you want to know Jesus, it isn't too late - 
Let him be your Shepherd, your Path and your Gate. 
Cast down all your works and your righteousness too, 
tell Him you quit, that you give up, you're through. 
Today you could trade your Religion back in 
for a loving and personal relationship with Him. 
Walk with Him, talk with Him, let Him love you. 
That's all that Jesus ever wanted to do. 
  
(by a former good, moral, religious man) 
-- Unknown

*By
 faith Abel offered unto God a  more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by 
which he obtained witness that  he was righteous, God testifying of his 
gifts: and by it he being dead  yet speaketh. HEBREWS 11:4 

Paul Counted His Wife As Loss

I have heard people from time to time get very upset when someone refers to Paul in response to a question on marriage matters. “What would that chauvinist, woman hating, …” Well, it the rest usually isn’t fit to repeat but I think you get the point. They vehemently claim he hates women and that he was never married, etc. I first caution that they are speaking very unkindly and unjustly of the very man called of Christ Jesus to be the apostle to the Gentiles for this the dispensation of the age of grace, the man who by the power of the Holy Spirit wrote half of the New Testament books; this is not a man any of us is in a position to criticize. Then I wonder why they even think he was never married, after all Scripture does not in anyway say or imply that. Actually quite the opposite is true.

Oh I know folks like to go to

1 Corinthians 7:8  I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

As if Paul in this passage is saying he was unmarried, however I must point out that he not only mentions the unmarried but widows and he does not claim to be part of either group but instead says that it is good if they remain as he is, which in the context of the passage is the abstinent from sexual activity which is what is implied by “abide even as I” for the unmarried and widows. It is true he could be a widow but the following verse seems to say Paul has a wife he is free to lead about if she were a sister in Christ however he does not do so (I believe for good reason as I will explain shortly.)

1 Corinthians 9:5  Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Of course there is a degree of assumption involved if taking just the two passages I’ve quoted from so far as proof that Paul did indeed have a wife, so let’s look at two passages that prove it without any assumption, historically proven facts that can’t be denied.

I know you’re thinking I’m nuts as these passages have nothing at all to do with marriage and that’s true, but they have everything to do with showing without a doubt that Paul was married. Personally his understanding of marriage as spoken of in Ephesians 5 and Romans 7 in relation to Christ and the church is so rich and intimate that I can’t help put see that he speaks from experience but that isn’t proof enough for some so let me continue with the verses from Acts.

In both verses you will note he says he gave his consent or voice against Jewish followers of Christ. That’s the key you see, he gave his vote against them. Just look at who Paul was when he was still known as Saul.

Philippians 3:5-6  Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews not a proselyte, circumcised the eighth day, a Pharisee, persecuting the church of the little flock; this dude was legit as far as Jewish law was concerned. A rabbi who studied at the feet of the great Gamaliel:

Acts 22:3  I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

You know Gamaliel is the one who in Acts 5 said to just beat Peter and John then let them go about their way cause he knew that if they were of God persecution would only worsen the problem from the Sanhedrin perspective. Speaking of the Sanhedrin guess who else was a member of it, in fact, it is said he was next in line to take wise in his own eyes Gamaliel’s place? Yep that’s right our boy Paul became a member of the Sanhedrin in his early thirties. That’s important see cause there were two requirements in addition to the whole Hebrew of Hebrews and all above that had to be met to be a member of the Sanhedrin, Israel’s version of the Supreme Court, and thus able to cast a voice (vote) against or consent to the persecution of believers in Christ. A man had to be married and a father. In Jewish customs it was frowned upon for a man to remain unmarried, in fact it was encouraged at a young age by today’s standards, twenty was considered a prime age for matrimony for young men. In addition fatherhood was considered evidence of God’s blessing. A member of the Sanhedrin was required to be married and a father as it was believed this made them a fair and just judge – after all marriage and more so fatherhood brings a depth of understanding and maturity to a man. An unmarried man was strictly forbidden to be a member of the Sanhedrin.

We see this principle reflected for us during the age of grace in the following passages in 1 Timothy and Titus about men seeking to be bishops and elders in a local fellowship.

So clearly Paul was married before he was saved by God’s grace since he was a member of the Sanhedrin in order to consent to Stephen’s stoning and to relentlessly pursue the disciples and waste the church. But why does he not plainly speak of her in his epistles? After all his depth and intimate understanding of marriage shows she must have been very dear to him, he must have loved her greatly. So what happened to this beloved wife of his?

In Acts 7 we see him present at the stoning of Stephen by Acts 9 he is persecuting the little flock with a zeal and fervency that makes me queasy.

Acts 9:1  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

Galatians 1:13  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

Let’s face it as Saul, Paul was one very bad dude! And I do not mean that as a compliment instead he was more like a raving, ravenous, rapid hound from hell. He was in Jerusalem called there to help put down this uprising of these pathetic followers of Jesus, subdue and destroy them, but God had other plans. Don’t you love it when God buts in as He did that day as Saul journeyed towards Damascus to wreak havoc on the churches there? One that fateful glorious day the glorified risen Christ shines down from glory and saved Saul the chief of sinners.

Acts 9:3-6  And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Praise the Lord, that day thrills my heart because had not Christ shown his glory down that day I would not be safe and secure in His glorious grace today. But that’s a message for another day back to Saul, our apostle Paul now.

He continued to Damascus blind as a bat as Christ instructed, waited three days before Ananias showed up on Christ’s orders:

Acts 9:17-18  And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.  And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Now note this is the beginning of the Revelation of the mystery and so far all any of them know is the kingdom gospel of repent and be baptized, hence why we see Paul being baptized. So if we piece together the accounts of Paul’s early days of his conversion we see that he went to Arabia for 3 years before returning to Damascus to preach for a spell until his life was endangered and he escaped in a basket to Jerusalem where he abode with the disciples a while then returned to his hometown of Tarsus where he remains for approximately 8-10 years.

Galatians 1:16-20  To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:  Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.  Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.  But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.  Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

Acts 9:19-20  And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.  And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

Acts 9:30  Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

Now notice what he was about when Christ saved him, he was on an official mission of doom and destruction for the Jewish leaders the Pharisees if which he was a member of outstanding repute. He was sent to Damascus to seek Jesus’ followers in the synagogues there (notice it is the synagogues these are not Gentiles believers but Jews), his conversion then to a follow of the very one he was sent out against would have been a huge embarrassment to the Jewish leaders back in Jerusalem. So much so that in their own historical literature the official story they give of Paul is that “he suffered a severe heatstroke on the road to Damascus which caused temporary blindness and left him stark raving mad”. That’s what they say, we know the truth however. But back in Tarsus where he was from there is a woman waiting, waiting for her strong husband of whom she is so proud to return from putting down the uprising of those pesky filthy followers of that man who claimed to be the Messiah. She is waiting along with his mother and father. Ahh that proud Jewish father praising his son who is “already a revered member of the Sanhedrin, one day to head it when the great Gamaliel steps down, off on the most important task of stamping out once and for all these blasphemous idolatrous rebel’s who claim to follow the Messiah.” They wait anxiously for his return when things settle. They wait, and wait, … and wait. They begin after a time to hear tales troubling, disturbing tales but they refuse to believe they are true it is just lies of the enemies, those Jesus followers. Meanwhile back in Jerusalem the Pharisees are in a tizzy, the Sanhedrin in knots as they try to save face and deal with this most embarrassing and confounding defection by their golden boy. After some time they have received numerous requests from Sauls amity demanding information, answers so they send an official statement back to Tarsus. Perhaps penned by the great Gamaliel himself and reading something like this:

“Dear Mrs. Saul,

We regret to inform you of the terrible tragedy that happened while your husband was pursuing his official duties as revered and honored member of our assembly. On his way to Damascus unfortunately the oppressive heat of the sun bearing down upon him caused him to suffer a sever heat stroke leaving him temporarily blind the shock of which causes a complete mental breakdown. He regrettably has been kidnapped by a group of bandits who claim to follow that guy who was crucified some time ago. We have been unable to find him or establish any contact with him, in fact we hear strange rumors saying he is wandering like mad in Arabian wilderness. We do wish we could offer more hope for his return to normal life and please accept our condolences as we extend our deepest sympathy. Sincerely yours, Gamaliel, Highest Holder of High-mindedness“

I can see that, they spout off some official line trying to save face and solve an embarrassing problem. So Saul’s wife, family and friends set about grieving and getting on with life, cherishing the fond memories of that proud outstanding Jewish man – rabbi, judge, son, husband, father. Ahh that last would be a piercing pain even deeper for them as the poor wee one had passed before reaching its next birthday and Saul didn’t yet know that his beloved child was cold in the tomb.

But days slide into weeks, months and years wounds and hurts heal and the memories become treasures till one day three years later a man walks into town, weary beaten fleeing for his life he returns to the one place he will always be welcome- home. Imagine the surprise, joy, tears of excitement on those loved ones faces as the one they had given up for dead stands in the doorway. The wife rushing into his arms nearly knocking him to the ground as she embraces the man she thought she had lost. The proud father weeping unashamedly as he steps forward and embraces his prodigal son who was lost but has now found his way home. And ahh, Saul’s mother has fainted cold away from the shock and is only just stirring again, she sobs convulsingly and touches the face as she had all his life, tracing the scars there remembering soft baby cheeks and downy hair. Then anxiously Saul looks round counting heads and noticing a small one missing, He begins “Where’s…” but that question is never finished as his beloved wife takes his hand, shakes her head as tears spill once more. Not of joy this time but bitter heartache. Understanding without a word being spoken he enfolds his wife in his arms and weeps, weeps tears of exhaustion and anguish, his parents slip out as they console one another. That evening they have a dinner as a family with friends and loved ones dropping in to see the pride of Tarsus with their own eyes, returned from the wilderness. As there gather round they begin begging to hear the tale of his adventures, claiming to have heard crazy rumors that he was follower of that old so and so who claimed to be the Messiah the one they crucified in Jerusalem several years previous, the one whose followers he had set out to put down three years earlier. They would claim they always knew that wasn’t possible so what had happened was he sick and kidnapped as the letters from Gamaliel himself said. That moment would have been one for the books as Saul better known as Paul now rises slowly and begins his tale.

His tale of the glory of the gospel of the grace of God! He describes the light, the voice and the Truth! How Christ saved him even as he was hell bent on destroying Him. He preaches Christ and his death burial and resurrection for salvation and with each word faces fall, listeners rise, shake their heads and walk towards the door. Maybe a few try to argue but then they remember what Gamaliel said and they stop and walk away till all that’s left is wife, mother, father. Paul looks at his family and sees shock, condemnation, disbelief, rejection. Things changed in just a few short moments. Days slide into weeks into years and Paul labors got the Gospel in the toughest field around his hometown. He does go into the outlying areas of Sicilia and Syria preaching as we see:

Galatians 1:21-23  Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;  And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:  But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

He even expresses a desire to return to these churches in his later epistles.

But for now let’s get back to the lives ones at home kinsman, wife, family, friends all of whom he strives for some 8-10 years to bring to Christ. He had returned to Tarsus a broken humbled man who was filled with a light and life that spilled out of him to the hardest yet most effective place to minister to those lost damned souls there whom he loves so dearly; distressed as he expounds the glories of Christ the Messiah of Israel, Savior of the World fulfillment of all sacrifices risen high priest over all. Daily he preached, begged, pleaded and they did the same. “How could you do this to us? You were raised better than this! How dare you turn your back on your faith!” Friends drifted away, more distant family did as well, parents died and soon all that’s left is Paul and his wife. The wife who once rushed into his arms in grateful overwhelming joy now looked at him with contempt, disgust and on that final day said it’s enough leave. Go spread your blasphemous lies elsewhere. Just like Job’s wife telling him “to curse God and die” as he sat stinking, oozing, and utterly dejected on that dung pile Paul’s wife might well have looked at him and spat in hate and disgust the final blow to their life together “I wish you had never returned home, had died on that road that day you had your vision you pathetic man! “.

It had continued for years until a climax was reached when the time came that the relationship had to end (all families reach this if their is no reconciliation between the unsaved and Christ) Jesus cannot be set aside for the love of Christ will not be all that we loose if we do, we must cling to the cross of Christ as Paul did when the climax came and the lost family of Paul rejected him utterly cast him out as a insane man hopelessly lost and a burdensome stone that grated on their nerves, the spirit of Christ in him was a bitter gall to their unrepentanted rejecting hard forcing him to begin that missionary journeying which made up the rest of his life.

Paul had lost all he once counted gain in this world – wife, child, family, friends, position, home. All gone but he had gained the one thing more precious, priceless, the perfect love of Christ Jesus! If we read between lines of Philippians 3:7-8 we can see that Paul is saying he lost wife and family.

Paul knew all to well the cost of following Jesus after seeing himself as the pride of Israel bound for hell clothed in filth righteousness of rags when the glorified Christ shines down on him on that dusty Damascus road blinding him in order to open his eyes. Afterward he saw all those he loved wife family friends in this light, those whose filth had held Christ to the cross yet they rejected it and he counted them loss, as dung, as he gained Christ.

You too must want Christ more than anything else in order to be saved and trust the faith of Christ – if not you will choose hell over all. You mustn’t say as is so often the case “After (x,y, or z occurs) I’ll get saved, you’ll go to hell for you count any earthly person, goal , achievement or possession over Christ. Paul obviously lived to see the day he suffered a great loss however he counted it not as loss and he was not sorry he rejoiced in what he gained. The pain and suffering were nothing in comparison to knowing Christ Jesus and the joy he gained when Jesus saved his soul.

Paul did not feel he suffered the loss, he understood we suffer nothing as loss for Christ for all is gain if we gain Him. Suffering of this life nothing to be compared with any loss we may face. In this light that wife and family Paul once counted gain he now counted loss.

But back to the question of why Paul never outright mentioned the wife he had once beloved so dearly, we must remember one simple truth, Paul was human and didnt wish to reopen wounds healed in Christ, he did not mention her because of this, cant you see. This wound is the controversy between saved and unsaved since Cain slew Abel and if our families do not come to Christ we will see this day, we can not force acceptance of Christ and it will divide asunder if they will not be saved. So will you with Paul, with Job, say:

Job 19:25-27  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

I pray you count any loss as gain my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ because you know your Redeemer liveth, even is it is a spouse or child or family or friend, for Christ is gain.