Sodom & Gomorrah: State or Fate?

What happened to Sodom & Gomorrah? 

Why, these cities were restored to their original state weren't they?

[See Deut. 29:23; Isa. 13:19; Jer. 50:40; Amos 4:11; Jude 1:7]

These cities are going to be inhabited again, aren't they, and righteousness will prevail as these once wicked cities are restored to their original state?

Of course, this is only true if "destroyed" means "restored", doesn't it?

This "logic" really clarifies the Lord's statement about Sodom & Gomorrah in Matt. 10:15 doesn't it?

"Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city."

"More tolerable"??? Sodom and Gomorrah will be restored, but it will be "more tolerable" for any city (people) that fails to heed the teaching of the Lord and the apostles.

RESTORED or DESTROYED?

Peter wrote of the day of Judgment with similar language:

"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

MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT...BURNED UP...DISSOLVED...

Yes, according to some, these terms mean RESTORED TO THEIR ORIGINAL STATE...

If this be true, remember, when this happens, it will be MORE TOLERABLE for those who rejected the Lord's teaching and the apostles' teaching... does this make sense?

Don't be deceived... 'destroyed' does not mean 'restored'.

The destruction of the earth, is not referring to this planet, but to people.

For people who repent, this day of destruction will not come upon them as a thief; but for those who DON'T REPENT, the fate of (the people of) Sodom and Gomorrah will be "more tolerable" than for them.

Jesus taught:

"Take heed WHAT ye hear" ~ Mark 4:24

"Take heed HOW ye hear" ~ Luke 6:38

Why? Because DOCTRINE MATTERS!

6/30/2020

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The ‘Dark’ Lover

John 18:37 – Jesus said to Pilate, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

John 18:38 – Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?”

Could Pilate understand truth?

Jesus had stated earlier in His ministry, “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:17)

Two questions for consideration:
~ Can we know truth (apart from error) today? If so,
~ Can we agree on what constitutes truth?

If ANYONE could have made it clear, would it not have been Jesus? In his teaching, could any human have been more convincing?

Now, consider, in regard to Jesus and His teaching:

DID THE LORD CONVINCE/CONVERT EVERYONE HE TAUGHT???

Of course not…but was it because Jesus was a poor teacher? Was the fault in His ability? Again, would you agree with me that it wasn’t because of the inability of Jesus to make truth clear.

To what then do we attribute the failure of people to understand/accept His teachings? His statement in John 7:17 has the answer….re-read it………

Notice also a related statement from the apostle Paul in regard to the need to have a love for truth in order prevent being deceived by false doctrine (2 Thessalonians 2:10).

Again, the Lord explained early in His ministry why some have no love for truth:
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” – John 3:19-21

How can you recognize truth? It will expose any sin in your life and call upon you to cease from it ASAP (i.e. repent);

If you don’t want your sin exposed……you will reject the message (and the messenger) in like manner as people did of Jesus.

People were divided over Jesus, as to whether or not He was the Christ… why? Because of His teachings! Those who wanted to be accepted, would repent and live differently; those who hated that their sin was “brought to light”, attacked Him and His teachings. Ultimately, He was put to death for condemning the sins that people committed.

To His apostles, Jesus described the characteristic of TRUTH: “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause’.” – John 15:22-25.

If any preaching does not define and, condemn sin, based upon what Jesus and His apostles taught, and call upon every sinner to cease from that life, and “obey the form of doctrine” as preached by Jesus and His apostles, he is not preaching TRUTH, but TICKLING YOUR EARS, FOR HIS OWN GAIN! (Romans 6:17-18; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; Jude 1:16).

If you have a love for truth, you will appreciate the preacher who tells you the truth, for you stand to inherit eternal life if you will accept/obey that message. If you don’t, you will accuse him of preaching “how he understands” the Bible, reserving for yourself another “understanding” to excuse yourself from obedience to that “form of doctrine”.

Are you “on the side of the truth”? Do you listen to Jesus? Is truth absolute? Is it based upon the teachings of the Lord and His apostles? Can it be known? Can you and I agree on it?

6/30/2020

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Two Thieves Are Coming…

There are two thieves that are coming:
Job 24:1 – “they that know him not”

Job describes them as a thief in vss. 13-15
“They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.”

The other, is the LORD! Revelation 3:3; 16:15
His coming will be as a thief to SOME, but not ALL
1 Thessalonians 5:2-6:
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent…”

Which THIEF said this?

6/30/2020

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The Greatest Prejudice and Racism that exists...

No greater exercise of hatred, prejudice and racism is seen than that toward the disciple of Jesus. It comes from every facet of society, (red, yellow, black and white).

Jesus explained it as follows in John 15:18-25:

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause'."

If we really want to discover the truth about ourselves in terms of being prejudiced and a racist, follow Jesus in teaching what He taught.

If we really want to discover the truth about others in terms of being prejudiced and a racist, follow Jesus in teaching what He taught.

If we seek an answer to the question 'WHY DOES HATRED, PREJUDICE, AND RACISM EXIST?' Here is the Lord Jesus' answer:

"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” ~ John 3:19-21

6/17/2020

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