Saturday, August 11, 2012
"Guilty as charged!"
I believe that {EVERY} man's whole duty is to "...fear God and keep His commandments."
If that makes me a "LEGALIST", I plead 'GUILTY AS CHARGED'!
However, consider the following evidence from the scriptures:
Num 14:41-44 - "And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.
Go not up, for the LORD [is] not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
For the Amalekites and the Canaanites [are] there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.
But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp."
Nehemiah 9:16 - But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments.
Nehemiah 9:26 - "Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies."
Nehemiah 9:29 - "And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not OBEY..."
Ezekiel 20:13, 21 - "But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules..."
Matthew 19:17 - Jesus said ... "If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
Again, if believing, teaching, and practicing that ALL must submit to commandments from God, classifies me as a 'LEGALIST' in their eyes, I plead 'GUILTY AS CHARGED'.
Romans 10:17 - "Presumption cometh by hearing what God NEVER said."
Walk by faith; not by sight...
rdb
Friday, August 10, 2012
"...he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles..." WHY?
Luke 6:13 - "And when it was day, he called [unto him] his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles..."
Notice: He chose twelve..." - WHY?
1 Corinthians 2:7:100 - "But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
1 Peter 1:10-12 -
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,
inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but YOU (the Christians to whom Peter was writing to- rdb), in the things that have now been announced to you through THOSE WHO PREACHED THE GOOD NEWS (the apostles- rdb) to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
THIS was why Jesus told them to "tarry in Jerusalem until ye be endued w/power from on high" (Luke 24:49); they would receive "power" when the Holy Ghost would come upon them" (Acts 1:8),
THIS was why the Holy Ghost 'fell' upon them (i.e. the 12); NOT to save them from their past sins, but to enable them to preach (have remembrance) of what Jesus had taught them..." (John 14:25; 15:26; 16:13)
We know this to be so from what is stated in Acts 1:8 concerning what they would do AFTER the Holy Ghost came upon them...
- "and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
This happened on the day of Pentecost:
Acts 2:4 - And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
They spoke to the multitude in Jerusalem (Acts 2:6 - every man heard them speak in his own language...and how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? - 2:8)
Was this 'speaking' understandable? In answer to this, note the wording in Acts 2:11 - "...we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." (How did they know that the wonderful works of God were being talked about, if these tongues were 'unknown'?)
When this 'speaking' was concluded, those who listened would respond in the following manner: they would "call on the name of the Lord"; which would result in their being saved from their transgressions."
Notice now that per Romans 2, in order for ALL THIS to occur, there had to be the following sequence of action:
Belief...but in order for belief to take place, there had to 'hear' (a message...which implies of necessity an understanding of the message); but in order for this to occur, they had to 'hear' that message; but in order for that to occur, there had to be somebody to preach that message. - Rom 10:14 - "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"
Romans 10:15 - "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
THIS is why "...he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles..."
Yet, we find per Rom. 10:16 that not everyone has "obeyed the gospel." (i.e., 'believed their report').
HOW do you believe? HOW do you obey the gospel? What is to be believed and obeyed?
Go back to Peter's sermon in Acts 2; following the conclusion of his preaching, the question was asked "What shall we do?" (v. 36). (They learned of the need to "do" something from the message of Peter)
Peter replied, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (v. 38)
Those who "did" as commanded by Peter, continued stedfastly in "the apostles' doctrine" (Acts 2:42).
If THE SAME doctrine was preached today, every sinner would be added to the same body, the church, by the Lord (Acts 2:47)
1 Cor. 12:12-13, 20
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit...But now are they many members, yet but one body.
Notice: He chose twelve..." - WHY?
1 Corinthians 2:7:100 - "But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
1 Peter 1:10-12 -
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,
inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but YOU (the Christians to whom Peter was writing to- rdb), in the things that have now been announced to you through THOSE WHO PREACHED THE GOOD NEWS (the apostles- rdb) to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
THIS was why Jesus told them to "tarry in Jerusalem until ye be endued w/power from on high" (Luke 24:49); they would receive "power" when the Holy Ghost would come upon them" (Acts 1:8),
THIS was why the Holy Ghost 'fell' upon them (i.e. the 12); NOT to save them from their past sins, but to enable them to preach (have remembrance) of what Jesus had taught them..." (John 14:25; 15:26; 16:13)
We know this to be so from what is stated in Acts 1:8 concerning what they would do AFTER the Holy Ghost came upon them...
- "and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
This happened on the day of Pentecost:
Acts 2:4 - And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
They spoke to the multitude in Jerusalem (Acts 2:6 - every man heard them speak in his own language...and how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? - 2:8)
Was this 'speaking' understandable? In answer to this, note the wording in Acts 2:11 - "...we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." (How did they know that the wonderful works of God were being talked about, if these tongues were 'unknown'?)
When this 'speaking' was concluded, those who listened would respond in the following manner: they would "call on the name of the Lord"; which would result in their being saved from their transgressions."
Notice now that per Romans 2, in order for ALL THIS to occur, there had to be the following sequence of action:
Belief...but in order for belief to take place, there had to 'hear' (a message...which implies of necessity an understanding of the message); but in order for this to occur, they had to 'hear' that message; but in order for that to occur, there had to be somebody to preach that message. - Rom 10:14 - "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"
Romans 10:15 - "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
THIS is why "...he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles..."
Yet, we find per Rom. 10:16 that not everyone has "obeyed the gospel." (i.e., 'believed their report').
HOW do you believe? HOW do you obey the gospel? What is to be believed and obeyed?
Go back to Peter's sermon in Acts 2; following the conclusion of his preaching, the question was asked "What shall we do?" (v. 36). (They learned of the need to "do" something from the message of Peter)
Peter replied, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (v. 38)
Those who "did" as commanded by Peter, continued stedfastly in "the apostles' doctrine" (Acts 2:42).
If THE SAME doctrine was preached today, every sinner would be added to the same body, the church, by the Lord (Acts 2:47)
1 Cor. 12:12-13, 20
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit...But now are they many members, yet but one body.
"...and there is nothing new under the sun."
Nothing with God, or with the majority of religious people has changed...
God abhorred this in Amos' day; and He abhors it still today...
“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory
and stretch themselves out on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock
Matt. 5:4 - “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted..."
God abhorred this in Amos' day; and He abhors it still today...
“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory
and stretch themselves out on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock
and calves from the midst of the stall,
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,
who drink wine in bowls
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! - 6:4-6
As in Isaiah's day; so also today, "They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, BUT THEY DO NOT REGARD THE DEEDS OF THE LORD, OR SEE THE WORK OF HIS HANDS. - 5:12
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,
who drink wine in bowls
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! - 6:4-6
As in Isaiah's day; so also today, "They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, BUT THEY DO NOT REGARD THE DEEDS OF THE LORD, OR SEE THE WORK OF HIS HANDS. - 5:12
God declared thru Amos: "Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen!" - 5:23
- Eph. 5:19 - ...speak to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs...make melody in your heart...
- Eph. 5:19 - ...speak to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs...make melody in your heart...
- Col. 3:16 - ...teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Matt. 5:4 - “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted..."
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