I Corinthians 15:50-57
I declare to you, brothers, --
This is important family Truth, so pay attention.
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, --
God's Kingdom is spiritual, that physical flesh cannot withstand, like looking into the Sun will burn out our eyes.
nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. --
What can be destroyed cannot withstand what cannot be destroyed.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: --
Listen up, guys, I'm telling you something no one has ever known before; a new revelation from God.
We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--
We all won't have to die first, some of us will live to see the Day and bypass death entirely. But whether we live to that Day or die before it comes, all of our bodies will be changed to Resurrection bodies.
--In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, --
This will happen instantly, instantaneously.
at the last Trumpet. --
This is when it will happen. The only series of trumpet blasts is in Revelation: this is the 7th Trumpet (Revelation 11:15-19).
For the Trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. --
This is referred to as "The Rapture." It means, "catching away" in the sense that the "we" here are those of us who have not died and remain alive when Jesus comes, when He appears in the clouds, calls our names, we all rise to Him, and come down with Him as His feet touch the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. --
What can be harmed or destroyed and die must be changed into what cannot be harmed or destroyed or die, to be able to live forever.
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, --
When all this is done, accomplished, and we are Resurrected.
then the saying that had been written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." (Isaiah 25:8)
Where, O Death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting? (Hosea 13:14)
This is when these prophesies will be fulfilled.
The sting of Death is sin, --
The pain, the shot that misses the mark, where we come up short: sin.
And the power of sin is the law. --
The civil and the natural, scientific laws, as well as God's moral law; all have the authority to punish every lawbreaker.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The victory over Death, and all the lesser enemies we have, like the world, our own flesh, and the devil. Victory!
Jesus's death on the Cross as our Sacrificial Lamb and His Resurrection, proving that God the Father accepted His payment in full for all our sins, guarantees our redemption; and the Holy Spirit given to live in us is the deposit on the full redemption of us; our bodies, our Earth and the whole Universe.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Friday, August 26, 2016
God's Reputation
Ezekiel 20:1-26
(v. 9) "But for the sake of My Name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep My Name from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed Myself to the Israelites."
(v. 14) "But for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations in whose sight I had brought them out."
(v. 22) "But I withheld My hand and for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations in whose sight I had brought them out."
Ezekiel is recounting the Hebrews' history, how God did such great and terrible miraculous deeds on their behalf, and how they still refused to esteem Him as God, but rebelled against Him and His ways. And how God relented over and over again from destroying them for all the evil and wickedness they had done. Why? For God's own reputation. He would not let their lies and deceptions besmirch His reputation among the rest of the World who witnessed His miracles.
But God did allow them to suffer the consequences of their own attitudes, acts and lifestyles:
(vs. 25-26) "So I gave them [over] to other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; I defiled them--through their gifts [to their idols] in killing their own children in sacrifice--that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord."
God allowed them to do these disgusting and twisted things so that they would be repulsed by the consequences of their own actions and turn back to God. Only God is the God of the Universe, not any of the idols they were attracted to.
We have these stories in order to learn from them. No punches are pulled, we see God's people with all their pimples and imperfections, so that we can witness the results of both wickedness and righteousness.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(v. 9) "But for the sake of My Name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep My Name from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed Myself to the Israelites."
(v. 14) "But for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations in whose sight I had brought them out."
(v. 22) "But I withheld My hand and for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations in whose sight I had brought them out."
Ezekiel is recounting the Hebrews' history, how God did such great and terrible miraculous deeds on their behalf, and how they still refused to esteem Him as God, but rebelled against Him and His ways. And how God relented over and over again from destroying them for all the evil and wickedness they had done. Why? For God's own reputation. He would not let their lies and deceptions besmirch His reputation among the rest of the World who witnessed His miracles.
But God did allow them to suffer the consequences of their own attitudes, acts and lifestyles:
(vs. 25-26) "So I gave them [over] to other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; I defiled them--through their gifts [to their idols] in killing their own children in sacrifice--that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord."
God allowed them to do these disgusting and twisted things so that they would be repulsed by the consequences of their own actions and turn back to God. Only God is the God of the Universe, not any of the idols they were attracted to.
We have these stories in order to learn from them. No punches are pulled, we see God's people with all their pimples and imperfections, so that we can witness the results of both wickedness and righteousness.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Personal Responsibility
Ezekiel 18:1-32
This long passage is about personal responsibility. The penalty for sin is death, it always was and it always will be.
If a man lives a righteous life, he will live. If he has a son who does evil, the son will die for his sin. If the son in turn has a son, and this grandson does what is right, he is not to die for his father's sins, he will live.
Then, if a person lives a wicked life, but then turns around and does what is right, then he will live, his wickedness is forgiven. But if a righteous man turns from the right and does evil, he will die for his sin.
The conclusion is, "Repent! Turn away from all your offences you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone," declares the Sovereign Lord. "Repent and live." (verses 31-32.)
God has already provided the remedy for us to turn our lives around; His Son Jesus Christ came to pay off our full debt of sin, so we can be forgiven. When we realize our culpability and His remedy, then He performs a miracle in each of us in sending His Holy Spirit to inhabit our bodies, causing our dead spirits to be alive--born spiritually into God's own family--with the power and authority to have the victory over all the addictions that had us in bondage; now we are free, and we will live forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
This long passage is about personal responsibility. The penalty for sin is death, it always was and it always will be.
If a man lives a righteous life, he will live. If he has a son who does evil, the son will die for his sin. If the son in turn has a son, and this grandson does what is right, he is not to die for his father's sins, he will live.
Then, if a person lives a wicked life, but then turns around and does what is right, then he will live, his wickedness is forgiven. But if a righteous man turns from the right and does evil, he will die for his sin.
The conclusion is, "Repent! Turn away from all your offences you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone," declares the Sovereign Lord. "Repent and live." (verses 31-32.)
God has already provided the remedy for us to turn our lives around; His Son Jesus Christ came to pay off our full debt of sin, so we can be forgiven. When we realize our culpability and His remedy, then He performs a miracle in each of us in sending His Holy Spirit to inhabit our bodies, causing our dead spirits to be alive--born spiritually into God's own family--with the power and authority to have the victory over all the addictions that had us in bondage; now we are free, and we will live forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Eternal Benefits
Isaiah 55:12-13
For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break out into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up; and instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up; and it will be a memorial to the Lord, for an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.
These verses describe how the New Earth will operate without the curse of death (entropy) that this Earth is subject to; we will have perfect joy and peace, the mountains and hills will rejoice with us, the trees will "clap their hands," no weeds will grow, only what is beneficial, and it will last forever. God will receive all the glory and we will enjoy all the benefits.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break out into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up; and instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up; and it will be a memorial to the Lord, for an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.
These verses describe how the New Earth will operate without the curse of death (entropy) that this Earth is subject to; we will have perfect joy and peace, the mountains and hills will rejoice with us, the trees will "clap their hands," no weeds will grow, only what is beneficial, and it will last forever. God will receive all the glory and we will enjoy all the benefits.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Our Resurrection Bodies
I Corinthians 15:42-49
The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; --
Our bodies now have imperfections; we get sick, we get hurt, we have scars, we get old, and fat, and wrinkled. We will be raised in bodies that will glow like the Sun.
It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; --
We have limitations: we can only do so much, jump so high, run so fast; we will be raised in a body that can lift effortlessly (think of Luke Skywalker's "force"), will understand limitlessly, will be able to appear (instead of go) anywhere we can imagine.
It is sown a natural body, -- What we live in now.
It is raised a spiritual body. -- Something we have never seen yet, except Jesus'.
If there is a natural body, -- We know there is, we have one.
There is also a spiritual body. -- Simple logic.
So it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being (Genesis 2:7); the last Adam, a life-giving spirit." --
We know that the "last Adam" is Jesus. He told us that, "the spirit gives life" (John 6:63), real life is spirit: when our spirit leaves our body we are dead.
The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. --
God's order, in order. First things first.
The first man was of the dust of the Earth, the second Man was from Heaven. --
God formed Adam out of clay, the elements of the Earth. Jesus was born of the Heavenly Seed prepared in ages past (Hebrews 10:5).
As was the earthy man, so are those who are of the Earth; --
Our physical bodies consist of the same elements, in the same proportions, as the Earth itself.
And as is the Man from Heaven, so also are those who are of Heaven. --
We who are "born again" are "born from above," born in a spiritual sense, comparable to how we were born in a natural, physical way.
And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthy man, so shall we bear the likeness of the Man from Heaven. --
Just as we now look like every other physical human being that has ever lived, so when we are raised, we will look like something we've never seen before on Earth--we'll shine like the Sun! (Revelation 1:16; 10:1.)
This part of this chapter describes what our new, Resurrected bodies will be like. When Jesus rose from the dead, His body was changed in ways that we cannot very much understand, but He wasn't bleeding any more from His wounds, He wasn't hampered by locks on the doors, he just appeared in the room with the disciples, the two on the road to Emmaus didn't even recognize Him until He broke the bread for them. Then He appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos, and His face shone like the Sun. And even Moses' face shone so much after he was just in the Lord's presence on Sinai, that he had to wear a veil until it faded (Exodus 34:29-35; II Corinthians 3:13).
This is all very encouraging to me, to anticipate the wonderful way God will bless me, all because Jesus paid for me out of the slave-market of sin and set me free!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; --
Our bodies now have imperfections; we get sick, we get hurt, we have scars, we get old, and fat, and wrinkled. We will be raised in bodies that will glow like the Sun.
It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; --
We have limitations: we can only do so much, jump so high, run so fast; we will be raised in a body that can lift effortlessly (think of Luke Skywalker's "force"), will understand limitlessly, will be able to appear (instead of go) anywhere we can imagine.
It is sown a natural body, -- What we live in now.
It is raised a spiritual body. -- Something we have never seen yet, except Jesus'.
If there is a natural body, -- We know there is, we have one.
There is also a spiritual body. -- Simple logic.
So it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being (Genesis 2:7); the last Adam, a life-giving spirit." --
We know that the "last Adam" is Jesus. He told us that, "the spirit gives life" (John 6:63), real life is spirit: when our spirit leaves our body we are dead.
The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. --
God's order, in order. First things first.
The first man was of the dust of the Earth, the second Man was from Heaven. --
God formed Adam out of clay, the elements of the Earth. Jesus was born of the Heavenly Seed prepared in ages past (Hebrews 10:5).
As was the earthy man, so are those who are of the Earth; --
Our physical bodies consist of the same elements, in the same proportions, as the Earth itself.
And as is the Man from Heaven, so also are those who are of Heaven. --
We who are "born again" are "born from above," born in a spiritual sense, comparable to how we were born in a natural, physical way.
And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthy man, so shall we bear the likeness of the Man from Heaven. --
Just as we now look like every other physical human being that has ever lived, so when we are raised, we will look like something we've never seen before on Earth--we'll shine like the Sun! (Revelation 1:16; 10:1.)
This part of this chapter describes what our new, Resurrected bodies will be like. When Jesus rose from the dead, His body was changed in ways that we cannot very much understand, but He wasn't bleeding any more from His wounds, He wasn't hampered by locks on the doors, he just appeared in the room with the disciples, the two on the road to Emmaus didn't even recognize Him until He broke the bread for them. Then He appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos, and His face shone like the Sun. And even Moses' face shone so much after he was just in the Lord's presence on Sinai, that he had to wear a veil until it faded (Exodus 34:29-35; II Corinthians 3:13).
This is all very encouraging to me, to anticipate the wonderful way God will bless me, all because Jesus paid for me out of the slave-market of sin and set me free!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, August 22, 2016
Spiritual Nourishment
Isaiah 55:10-11
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the Earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
God is using as an example this agrarian picture to this agrarian people, that the rain and snow accomplishes the purposes God designed it to do, to benefit us all by giving us food to eat.
So shall My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
In the same way, God has given us His Word. Jesus told us that "Life is spirit" and the words He said to His disciples were spiritual. So to have real life, we need to ingest His Words; to take a bite and chew it for a while, and then when I swallow it and digest it, it becomes my life, my lifestyle, how I view the world and live my everyday life. That is God's Word returning to Him having accomplished the purposes He intended, and succeeding to give us (me) eternal life.
That is why I study the Bible every day; it nourishes my Life, my real Life, my eternal Life that began in me when God put His Spirit into my dead spirit, making it alive. I don't want to stagnate, because if I'm not growing, that means I'm spiritually sick, and I want to be healthy in every way.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the Earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
God is using as an example this agrarian picture to this agrarian people, that the rain and snow accomplishes the purposes God designed it to do, to benefit us all by giving us food to eat.
So shall My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
In the same way, God has given us His Word. Jesus told us that "Life is spirit" and the words He said to His disciples were spiritual. So to have real life, we need to ingest His Words; to take a bite and chew it for a while, and then when I swallow it and digest it, it becomes my life, my lifestyle, how I view the world and live my everyday life. That is God's Word returning to Him having accomplished the purposes He intended, and succeeding to give us (me) eternal life.
That is why I study the Bible every day; it nourishes my Life, my real Life, my eternal Life that began in me when God put His Spirit into my dead spirit, making it alive. I don't want to stagnate, because if I'm not growing, that means I'm spiritually sick, and I want to be healthy in every way.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Don't Put It Off!
Isaiah 55:1-9
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
This is the New Heaven and the New Earth, in New Jerusalem the Capitol City with the Water of Life flowing and the Tree of Life growing along its banks (Revelation 22:1-2).
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?
We are spending our means for worldly pleasures and focusing on this life, that can never satisfy our real needs.
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live;
When we listen to what God says in His Word, and take to heart what He tells us, shaping our lives according to His life principles; real life is spirit.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.
Also called the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31; 32:40; Hebrews 13:20), it is as enduring as the covenant made with David (II Samuel 7). (The Ryrie Study Bible, p. 1095.)
Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, and a nation which knows you not will run to you, because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you.
There will be people from every nation who will enter into this New World and recognize the honor God gave Israel, His chosen.
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.
Don't put it off; when you feel the drawing of the Lord, don't ignore it. When I felt His drawing me, I didn't know it was God, I was looking for Truth; and when He found me (I'm the one who was lost!) I let Him overwhelm me, I didn't push Him away; I knew He was the Truth I'd been seeking after.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
Exactly what happened to me: I didn't fall back into the wickedness that had been my lifestyle, and my thought processes turned away from worldly pursuits to wanting to know more about God's Word, the Bible.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than Your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
God is saying that He has a higher perspective on what He's looking at and understands. It's like we're in a maze, and we must try every turn and every path to figure out the map of the lay of the land; but God is in the helicopter above the whole maze, so He can just see the way out without having to figure it out--He understands it all, so we can trust Him.
Don't ever think that you can put off to tomorrow turning your life around, when today is the only time we have; yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is a dream. Today is the day of Salvation.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
This is the New Heaven and the New Earth, in New Jerusalem the Capitol City with the Water of Life flowing and the Tree of Life growing along its banks (Revelation 22:1-2).
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?
We are spending our means for worldly pleasures and focusing on this life, that can never satisfy our real needs.
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live;
When we listen to what God says in His Word, and take to heart what He tells us, shaping our lives according to His life principles; real life is spirit.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.
Also called the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31; 32:40; Hebrews 13:20), it is as enduring as the covenant made with David (II Samuel 7). (The Ryrie Study Bible, p. 1095.)
Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, and a nation which knows you not will run to you, because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you.
There will be people from every nation who will enter into this New World and recognize the honor God gave Israel, His chosen.
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.
Don't put it off; when you feel the drawing of the Lord, don't ignore it. When I felt His drawing me, I didn't know it was God, I was looking for Truth; and when He found me (I'm the one who was lost!) I let Him overwhelm me, I didn't push Him away; I knew He was the Truth I'd been seeking after.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
Exactly what happened to me: I didn't fall back into the wickedness that had been my lifestyle, and my thought processes turned away from worldly pursuits to wanting to know more about God's Word, the Bible.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than Your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
God is saying that He has a higher perspective on what He's looking at and understands. It's like we're in a maze, and we must try every turn and every path to figure out the map of the lay of the land; but God is in the helicopter above the whole maze, so He can just see the way out without having to figure it out--He understands it all, so we can trust Him.
Don't ever think that you can put off to tomorrow turning your life around, when today is the only time we have; yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is a dream. Today is the day of Salvation.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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