Hello Guys and Gals,
If any of you have been following my recent posts, they have been building up to something and I believe they will conclude with this post. As I am in a lot of pain tonight, I think it is an ideal time for me to write about this one in particular and at the end of this one, I hope you will agree with me.
How many of you have ever heard of Calvin vs Arminian? Well it started out with Calvin and his 5 points. What those 5 points are have been talked about in previous blogs so I will only talk about the specific point I am addressing here tonight. The main point of John Calvin that James Arminian had the biggest trouble with is that Calvinists claim that salvation, once attained, can never be lost. Now I do not believe that John Calvin believed in Eternal Security and I do believe that most in the Calvin camp do not fully understand John Calvin's arguments regarding this. But that is also another discussion for another time.
James Arminian did not like Calvin's 5 points and so put out 5 opposing points of his own, chief of which was salvation is only secure if you persevere in it.
Now I do not like either 'camp' in their beliefs of once saved, always saved; or that you can lose your salvation. I believe that with both those camps, the decision is being placed too heavily into man's hands.
Jesus stated quite clearly about salvation and who His followers truly are:
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. ~ John 10:27-29 NLT
Jesus clearly states two things in this: first, He states that His sheep listen to His voice and follow Him; second, the eternal life that Jesus gives to His followers are placed there by the Father and no man (translated as no one in this translation) can snatch them from His hand.
As to the first, Jesus says that His sheep listen to His voice and follow Him. This means that they must know what His voice sounds like! Do you know what Jesus' voice sounds like? I do not mean reading scripture and being able to pick out the red ink on the page. I mean, do you truly hear His voice within you speaking to you in those quite, still times when it is truly Him speaking to you? If you do not, I would start asking yourself why you do not!
As to the second, the decision of whether or not someone's eternal security is able to be taken away once Jesus Christ has given it is not up to any man to have the power to do. However it does not say that God the Father does not have the power to take it away if He does not like what it is you are doing in your life!
Look closely at Ezekiel 18:
24 However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins. 25 “Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? 26 When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. ~ Ezekiel 18:24-26 NLT
Read it closely! Yes, that's right, it states very clearly that when a righteous person turns from their righteous behavior and starts acting like other sinners, all their righteous acts will be forgotten and they will die for their sins! Don't get mad at God for not giving you a license to sin. He never did give one!
So often I hear the saying, "I may just barely make it into Heaven by the skin of my teeth, but I will be there!"
Are you sure about that? Do you know the Word of God? Do you read your bible?
Let me give you another passage of scripture to drive the point I am making in this whole post home:
21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ ~ Matthew 7:21-23 NLT
Just because you think you are saved, does not make it so! What does Jesus Himself state about whether or not you will get into Heaven? He says that there are many who will do this or do that in His name, but He never even knew who they were!
So many pastors today ask the question of whether you know Jesus Christ. I think the more pertinent question should be of whether Jesus Christ knows you!
In other words, do you have such an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the reading of His Word and Prayer that He knows your voice as well as you know His voice? Are you sure about whether He knows your voice?
I know for a fact that Jesus knows my voice and I know His voice for I am in nearly constant prayer to Him! My very life depends on it! I know many of you do not have the pain that I do. But I also know that there are some of you out there who have been hurt as deeply as I have in many other ways. I also know that Jesus Christ yearns to know you at such an intimate level that there will be no doubt in your life, not only that you know His voice, but that He also knows your voice and will declare before the Father that you are His!
That is the type of intimate relationship you need to have with Jesus Christ that I have been speaking about for so long now. I pray that each and every one of you who reads this post takes the time to reflect on whether or not Jesus Christ will know you when you stand before the Father as Satan is accusing you of all your sins! Will Jesus know you? Or will you be rightly judged to eternal damnation in Gehenna, the Lake of Fire? I am not afraid to speak it for I also faced the reality of it in order to come face to face with my Lord, Jesus Christ!
God bless you all this night!
29 October 2014
28 October 2014
Bearing The Cross Of Jesus Christ!
Hello Guys and Gals,
I am starting this post today and asking that Jesus Christ and His love guide me in this message for I know it will be hard for some to hear because it was hard for me to realize in and of myself!
Why do we, as Christians, set before us a cross when we worship in a church, or anywhere else as far as that goes, when the Law of God specifically states:
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. ~ Exodus 20:4-5 New Living Translation
My question pertains to this very thing: what makes the difference in what we do compared to that of what they did back in the Old Testament?
I have been talking about how we follow Jesus for some time now in many of my postings both here and on Facebook. It is summed up in this scripture:
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me." ~ Matthew 16:24 NLT
I believe that the understanding of why we, as Christians, set a cross before us as we worship the living God, and why we also wear a cross around our necks, has been lost to us as so many things are with the passing of time. But, in a nutshell, why we do this is simply as a reminder to us, and to those who look upon us, that we are ready and willing, at any time, to be taken and physically crucified upon a cross, like our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, before the whole world so that His name may be glorified in our being crucified for His name's sake. It is our statement and continual reminder that we are willing to give up all of our life, at any time, to any degree that He wants, for His glory!
And yet, there are some of us who do not know that! There are some of us who are not aware that, as they wear that cross, it is a statement of readiness to be crucified. What about those people who are not wearing it as a statement of being ready to be crucified? Are they not guilty of breaking the Law of God in that they bow down before an idol or image of something in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea and worshiping it? Is it an image? Is it therefore also an idol? Are they gathering before it and worshiping? Yes! Yes! and Yes! Therefore they are guilty, just as I was guilty for doing the very same thing!
I have spoken about how false Christians are bearing the name of Christ without truly following Him in the manner of which He spoke and are only taking His name, that of a Christian, for their own vanity's sake; meaning that they call themselves Christian simply because it is the right and proper thing to do in this society; although that is quickly changing to be a thing that is no longer en vogue! Scripture has often spoken of these things calling true Christians or Israelites to be those who are circumcised of Heart and being circumcised of flesh does not matter. Yet, in Jeremiah, many of the prophecies of which he speaks have not yet come to fulfillment. One of these prophecies is:
25 “A time is coming,” says the lord, “when I will punish all those who are circumcised in body but not in spirit— 26 the Egyptians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, the people who live in the desert in remote places, and yes, even the people of Judah. And like all these pagan nations, the people of Israel also have uncircumcised hearts.” ~ Jeremiah 9:25-26 NLT
Are you willing to be taken, today, right now, to be punished by this world and crucified upon a cross for the sake of bearing the name of Jesus Christ, or more to the point: calling yourself a Christian? Are you willing to lose everything this fleshly world can offer to you: your good name, your wife, your husband, your parents, your sons, your daughters, your money, your house, your reputation, your honor, your everything; and be stripped of it all and humiliated and be cursed like Jesus Christ was cursed and hung on a tree, or nailed to a cross for the simple sake of being called a Christian?
Are you ready for that?
Are you willing to let that happen?
Tough questions, are they not?
I believe that we are already in the 7 scroll judgments mentioned in Revelation. I believe we are about to see the plague spoken about with the Pale Horse about to be released. I believe that the 7 trumpet judgments are next. I believe that the rapture will happen at the last trumpet as Paul declared. I believe that this means that us believers will be coming upon a very hard time in this world in which we will be put through a refining fire, the refining fire of God, to be able to burn away the chaff of our lives, all that is unworthy in our lives, so that we are made ready to be forged by him into that refined gold of a true Christian.
But like everything else, there will be some Christians who will be the chaff, or those who call themselves by His name and are not truly followers of Him and they will be burned away like the chaff as well.
Are you going to have chaff in your life that will be burned up so that you can be refined and purified into that which God is calling you to be?
Or are you going to be the chaff that is burned away because you are not truly given to Him in your heart?
Mark my words in that you will be one or the other! The time is coming and it is coming quickly!
My prayer is this: for all those who know me, and even those who know of me, and even those who chance upon this message and read these words: I pray that the God of all glory, one Jesus Christ, come into your heart and purge it from all uncleanness and make you into one worthy of bearing His name before all the world in a testimony to the world, who hates Jesus and His name, that you will be able to stand in that day and declare to the world that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life!
God bless you all this day!
I am starting this post today and asking that Jesus Christ and His love guide me in this message for I know it will be hard for some to hear because it was hard for me to realize in and of myself!
Why do we, as Christians, set before us a cross when we worship in a church, or anywhere else as far as that goes, when the Law of God specifically states:
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. ~ Exodus 20:4-5 New Living Translation
My question pertains to this very thing: what makes the difference in what we do compared to that of what they did back in the Old Testament?
I have been talking about how we follow Jesus for some time now in many of my postings both here and on Facebook. It is summed up in this scripture:
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me." ~ Matthew 16:24 NLT
I believe that the understanding of why we, as Christians, set a cross before us as we worship the living God, and why we also wear a cross around our necks, has been lost to us as so many things are with the passing of time. But, in a nutshell, why we do this is simply as a reminder to us, and to those who look upon us, that we are ready and willing, at any time, to be taken and physically crucified upon a cross, like our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, before the whole world so that His name may be glorified in our being crucified for His name's sake. It is our statement and continual reminder that we are willing to give up all of our life, at any time, to any degree that He wants, for His glory!
And yet, there are some of us who do not know that! There are some of us who are not aware that, as they wear that cross, it is a statement of readiness to be crucified. What about those people who are not wearing it as a statement of being ready to be crucified? Are they not guilty of breaking the Law of God in that they bow down before an idol or image of something in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea and worshiping it? Is it an image? Is it therefore also an idol? Are they gathering before it and worshiping? Yes! Yes! and Yes! Therefore they are guilty, just as I was guilty for doing the very same thing!
I have spoken about how false Christians are bearing the name of Christ without truly following Him in the manner of which He spoke and are only taking His name, that of a Christian, for their own vanity's sake; meaning that they call themselves Christian simply because it is the right and proper thing to do in this society; although that is quickly changing to be a thing that is no longer en vogue! Scripture has often spoken of these things calling true Christians or Israelites to be those who are circumcised of Heart and being circumcised of flesh does not matter. Yet, in Jeremiah, many of the prophecies of which he speaks have not yet come to fulfillment. One of these prophecies is:
25 “A time is coming,” says the lord, “when I will punish all those who are circumcised in body but not in spirit— 26 the Egyptians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, the people who live in the desert in remote places, and yes, even the people of Judah. And like all these pagan nations, the people of Israel also have uncircumcised hearts.” ~ Jeremiah 9:25-26 NLT
Are you willing to be taken, today, right now, to be punished by this world and crucified upon a cross for the sake of bearing the name of Jesus Christ, or more to the point: calling yourself a Christian? Are you willing to lose everything this fleshly world can offer to you: your good name, your wife, your husband, your parents, your sons, your daughters, your money, your house, your reputation, your honor, your everything; and be stripped of it all and humiliated and be cursed like Jesus Christ was cursed and hung on a tree, or nailed to a cross for the simple sake of being called a Christian?
Are you ready for that?
Are you willing to let that happen?
Tough questions, are they not?
I believe that we are already in the 7 scroll judgments mentioned in Revelation. I believe we are about to see the plague spoken about with the Pale Horse about to be released. I believe that the 7 trumpet judgments are next. I believe that the rapture will happen at the last trumpet as Paul declared. I believe that this means that us believers will be coming upon a very hard time in this world in which we will be put through a refining fire, the refining fire of God, to be able to burn away the chaff of our lives, all that is unworthy in our lives, so that we are made ready to be forged by him into that refined gold of a true Christian.
But like everything else, there will be some Christians who will be the chaff, or those who call themselves by His name and are not truly followers of Him and they will be burned away like the chaff as well.
Are you going to have chaff in your life that will be burned up so that you can be refined and purified into that which God is calling you to be?
Or are you going to be the chaff that is burned away because you are not truly given to Him in your heart?
Mark my words in that you will be one or the other! The time is coming and it is coming quickly!
My prayer is this: for all those who know me, and even those who know of me, and even those who chance upon this message and read these words: I pray that the God of all glory, one Jesus Christ, come into your heart and purge it from all uncleanness and make you into one worthy of bearing His name before all the world in a testimony to the world, who hates Jesus and His name, that you will be able to stand in that day and declare to the world that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life!
God bless you all this day!
22 October 2014
Seeking A Perfect Life!
Hello Guys and Gals!
God told me something today that stunned me when He made it clear to me:
I told God that I was trying so hard to be perfect before Him.
He spoke back to me and said to cut it out. He said that I did not have to live a perfect life because He has already lived a perfect life and He knows that none of us can live a perfect life! That is the whole reason He lived the perfect life for us.
I said back but God, I am trying so hard and I continually fail.
He said that I had not failed in the perfection I was achieving before Him.
I said that I did not understand that.
God told me that it was simple: He was not seeking that we live a perfect life; but instead, He simply wanted us to be perfect in our seeking His Son, Jesus Christ, Who already lived the perfect life for us!
May God shine His light before you so that you may seek the perfect life: Jesus Christ, and be perfect in your seeking of Him!
God bless Y'all today!
God told me something today that stunned me when He made it clear to me:
I told God that I was trying so hard to be perfect before Him.
He spoke back to me and said to cut it out. He said that I did not have to live a perfect life because He has already lived a perfect life and He knows that none of us can live a perfect life! That is the whole reason He lived the perfect life for us.
I said back but God, I am trying so hard and I continually fail.
He said that I had not failed in the perfection I was achieving before Him.
I said that I did not understand that.
God told me that it was simple: He was not seeking that we live a perfect life; but instead, He simply wanted us to be perfect in our seeking His Son, Jesus Christ, Who already lived the perfect life for us!
May God shine His light before you so that you may seek the perfect life: Jesus Christ, and be perfect in your seeking of Him!
God bless Y'all today!
20 October 2014
The Hope In A Life Lived To Overcome!
Hello Guys and Gals,
This is a hard post to write so if you have heard some of this before, please bear with me!
I know some of you have heard this before. But since I have just had it refreshed in my mind due to having to go to the ER and tell of it 5-6 times, I am going to remind everyone of what it is I am currently defying the odds with.
When I got diagnosed with my condition, Cervical Neuralgia, I had a 5% chance of living past 6 months. Of that 5%, I then had a 99% chance of dying from the pain within the first 3 years. And the pain diagnostician from Mayo Clinic that diagnosed me knew of nobody who had ever lived past 5 years with it.
It has now been over 4 1/2 years now and if I go 6 more months with this, I will the the first ever person known to have done so!
Now I know that many people out there believe that my pain is not as great as I declare it to be. Yet, I just had an ER doctor reassure me that very minute few people ever experience the kind of pain that I have.
So with this change in the law regarding Vikodin, the only real pain killer I can take outside of a hospital, I have been without it for over 2 weeks now. Add to that, the Rx prescribed was signed by a nurse practicioner and not by the doctor, which before was acceptable, but now is not. Essentially, I was informed that I had to see a doctor here in order to get an acceptable Rx. So that was the whole reason I went to the ER tonight.
Now add to all of those, I have a rare kidney disease called IgA Nephropathy which is one of the reasons I have chronic kidney stones every six months or so. My current kidney stone I have had for over 2 years which is getting larger and larger and keeps shifting around on me. So I have kidney spasms more than most simply because I have a mexican jumping bean kidney stone. One of my doctors did not believe me when I stated that the kidney stone was causing spasms while we were talking because I wasn't screaming. He put his hand on my back and found me to be telling the truth because he felt the kidney spasming.
On top of that, I am an insulin resistant diabetic. I have diabetic neuropathy in both feet and both hands to some degree. I have also had a gastric bypass, the full blown surgery, which limits my already slim diet down to next to nothing.
And all of that is just for starters. I have prayed to God for death more times than I can count. I beg and beg and beg Him to take me home. He tells me that He has work for me yet to do!
And for those that do not know it, I hear His voice in my soul all the time. I have full conversations with Him guiding me in how I perceive the world. And yes, I still sin every single day! This is why I constantly tell people of His goodness and His hope that only He can give!
When I went to a seminar out in Colorado last year to see Pastor Eric Ludy speak, I had been listening to Him speak for around 4 months with a sermon lasting around an hour or two every day. I felt like he was telling me all the things about God that I had been telling others for years now and this was the FIRST time I ever heard a pastor actually speaking of the power and hope that Jesus Christ brings to one's life! Eric, if you ever have the chance to read this, let me say thank you from the bottom of my heart!
But in getting to meet him, I asked him why did I have to have such great pain. He told me that he didn't have an answer for that and only God has that answer. But he did say to me that with great pain, and believe me, he saw me in it that week-end with all the storms moving through there, he said with great pain, comes a great opportunity to show the world the great grace that Jesus Christ has granted to me. That is why I continue to speak of it!
Please, anyone who thinks I am being arrogant, let me just simply say that I am trying my best not to sound that way.
We are coming up on the End Times spoken about in all the prophets and in Revelation. Shoot, I think we are already in the middle of the 7 scroll judgments right now. Next comes the 7 trumpet judgments, followed by the 7 bowl judgments. Now for those who believe in Pre-Tribulation Rapture, let me just remind you of what Paul the Apostle said in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, where it states:
51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ~ New Living Translation
I believe the last trumpet Paul is talking about here is the last of the 7 trumpet judgments. Revelation 11:15-19 speaks of the last trumpet saying,
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign forever and ever.”
16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him. 17 And they said,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty,
the one who is and who always was,
for now you have assumed your great power
and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were filled with wrath,
but now the time of your wrath has come.
It is time to judge the dead
and reward your servants the prophets,
as well as your holy people,
and all who fear your name,
from the least to the greatest.
It is time to destroy
all who have caused destruction on the earth.”
19 Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm. ~ New Living Translation
Now I know that there are many who disagree with me on this, and I am not showing this for any reason other than to witness to you the truth as I know it. I have come to believe that us Christians will be present for all 7 scroll judgments and we will not be caught up to Heaven until the 7th Trumpet judgment. This means that we will be here on Earth, in this mortal realm, with our still mortal bodies, during the first 2/3's of the Tribulation.
Let me also say this: if you are on my friend list on Facebook, then I love you with more of my heart than you truly know! Secondly, I ask you all to share this message around so that more than just you can be witness to it for I am going to show you now the HOPE that I have been filled with and the reason I continue to defy death in spite of all the health reasons in why I should be dead already!
If ever there was a time to purge your life of any sin you have in it, and forgive all of those who have sinned against you and whom you have sinned against, IT IS NOW! I have forgiven, even though it still gets me upset from time to time, I have forgiven any who has done me wrong and ask forgiveness of any who holds a grudge against me. James, my dear brother, I love you with all my heart and I am thankful you and I have reconciled. It means more to me than you know!
Now why do I say all this? It is simple, in Ezekiel 18 it states who will be forgiven and who will not. Let me say that it also put an end to me of the whole statement once saved, always saved! Now that is an ongoing debate between Calvinists and Arminians that basically both sides are refusing to see the truth of it. In a nutshell at the end of Ezekiel 18, it states that if you were a sinner, and repented and were forgiven, but return to sinning, that you will be deserving of death for your sin!
24 However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins. ~ Ezekiel 18:24 NLT
I'd say that pretty much sums up how a man living a righteous life can become sinful and die for it! But do not misunderstand this. Just because you may sin during a day, does not mean you will lose your salvation. The key would be whether or not you persist in the sin, or persist in going to God and begging His forgiveness. This is what I mean when I say I sin daily. I mean that I fail Him each and every day and I am in a constant relationship with good communication (praying) to stay in a sanctified state of existence with God. In other words, I make the call to tell How my day is or when things are going bad just simply to say, Father, I need your help again!
It is a constant and continually changing thing because God keeps drawing me closer and closer to Him!
I hear His voice because I, with His help of course, have trained myself to listen for it! How do I know it is His voice and not Satan's in my head? Simple: it matches up PERFECTLY with the Word of God that I study, seek, and try to live in on a daily basis!
Do you not know that the Word of God in text is a direct representation of the Word of God (Jesus Christ) in flesh? The more you read your bible and get to know the Word of God in text, the more you will get to know Jesus Christ in the flesh!
That is my Hope: Jesus Christ! He carries me when I can no longer go forward and takes me the next mile! He gives to me the strength to get up out of bed every day and endure this pain for another day! He gives me His grace (strength, power, endurance) to endure when nobody understands what it is that I am living through and then He gives me His grace (love, patience, kindness) to speak to those people who continually misunderstand me and look at me as if I am totally bonkers!
I am writing this to you today to show you that I have overcome those obstacles in my life that Jesus said that I have to endure for just a little while longer. I am writing to you today to show you that no matter what Satan or anyone throws at you, you can have access to the same grace (love, patience, kindness, strength, power, endurance) of Jesus Christ that He gives to any who ask, if they just ask Him for it when they need it!
So yeah, today was a very hard day for me and I know that I have many more hard days ahead of me before He takes me home. Abide in Jesus Christ and He will also abide in you to bring you that crown of glory to be given when the last trumpet blows!
With love to any who reads this,
Sincerely,
Jay Jordan
This is a hard post to write so if you have heard some of this before, please bear with me!
I know some of you have heard this before. But since I have just had it refreshed in my mind due to having to go to the ER and tell of it 5-6 times, I am going to remind everyone of what it is I am currently defying the odds with.
When I got diagnosed with my condition, Cervical Neuralgia, I had a 5% chance of living past 6 months. Of that 5%, I then had a 99% chance of dying from the pain within the first 3 years. And the pain diagnostician from Mayo Clinic that diagnosed me knew of nobody who had ever lived past 5 years with it.
It has now been over 4 1/2 years now and if I go 6 more months with this, I will the the first ever person known to have done so!
Now I know that many people out there believe that my pain is not as great as I declare it to be. Yet, I just had an ER doctor reassure me that very minute few people ever experience the kind of pain that I have.
So with this change in the law regarding Vikodin, the only real pain killer I can take outside of a hospital, I have been without it for over 2 weeks now. Add to that, the Rx prescribed was signed by a nurse practicioner and not by the doctor, which before was acceptable, but now is not. Essentially, I was informed that I had to see a doctor here in order to get an acceptable Rx. So that was the whole reason I went to the ER tonight.
Now add to all of those, I have a rare kidney disease called IgA Nephropathy which is one of the reasons I have chronic kidney stones every six months or so. My current kidney stone I have had for over 2 years which is getting larger and larger and keeps shifting around on me. So I have kidney spasms more than most simply because I have a mexican jumping bean kidney stone. One of my doctors did not believe me when I stated that the kidney stone was causing spasms while we were talking because I wasn't screaming. He put his hand on my back and found me to be telling the truth because he felt the kidney spasming.
On top of that, I am an insulin resistant diabetic. I have diabetic neuropathy in both feet and both hands to some degree. I have also had a gastric bypass, the full blown surgery, which limits my already slim diet down to next to nothing.
And all of that is just for starters. I have prayed to God for death more times than I can count. I beg and beg and beg Him to take me home. He tells me that He has work for me yet to do!
And for those that do not know it, I hear His voice in my soul all the time. I have full conversations with Him guiding me in how I perceive the world. And yes, I still sin every single day! This is why I constantly tell people of His goodness and His hope that only He can give!
When I went to a seminar out in Colorado last year to see Pastor Eric Ludy speak, I had been listening to Him speak for around 4 months with a sermon lasting around an hour or two every day. I felt like he was telling me all the things about God that I had been telling others for years now and this was the FIRST time I ever heard a pastor actually speaking of the power and hope that Jesus Christ brings to one's life! Eric, if you ever have the chance to read this, let me say thank you from the bottom of my heart!
But in getting to meet him, I asked him why did I have to have such great pain. He told me that he didn't have an answer for that and only God has that answer. But he did say to me that with great pain, and believe me, he saw me in it that week-end with all the storms moving through there, he said with great pain, comes a great opportunity to show the world the great grace that Jesus Christ has granted to me. That is why I continue to speak of it!
Please, anyone who thinks I am being arrogant, let me just simply say that I am trying my best not to sound that way.
We are coming up on the End Times spoken about in all the prophets and in Revelation. Shoot, I think we are already in the middle of the 7 scroll judgments right now. Next comes the 7 trumpet judgments, followed by the 7 bowl judgments. Now for those who believe in Pre-Tribulation Rapture, let me just remind you of what Paul the Apostle said in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, where it states:
51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ~ New Living Translation
I believe the last trumpet Paul is talking about here is the last of the 7 trumpet judgments. Revelation 11:15-19 speaks of the last trumpet saying,
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign forever and ever.”
16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him. 17 And they said,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty,
the one who is and who always was,
for now you have assumed your great power
and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were filled with wrath,
but now the time of your wrath has come.
It is time to judge the dead
and reward your servants the prophets,
as well as your holy people,
and all who fear your name,
from the least to the greatest.
It is time to destroy
all who have caused destruction on the earth.”
19 Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm. ~ New Living Translation
Now I know that there are many who disagree with me on this, and I am not showing this for any reason other than to witness to you the truth as I know it. I have come to believe that us Christians will be present for all 7 scroll judgments and we will not be caught up to Heaven until the 7th Trumpet judgment. This means that we will be here on Earth, in this mortal realm, with our still mortal bodies, during the first 2/3's of the Tribulation.
Let me also say this: if you are on my friend list on Facebook, then I love you with more of my heart than you truly know! Secondly, I ask you all to share this message around so that more than just you can be witness to it for I am going to show you now the HOPE that I have been filled with and the reason I continue to defy death in spite of all the health reasons in why I should be dead already!
If ever there was a time to purge your life of any sin you have in it, and forgive all of those who have sinned against you and whom you have sinned against, IT IS NOW! I have forgiven, even though it still gets me upset from time to time, I have forgiven any who has done me wrong and ask forgiveness of any who holds a grudge against me. James, my dear brother, I love you with all my heart and I am thankful you and I have reconciled. It means more to me than you know!
Now why do I say all this? It is simple, in Ezekiel 18 it states who will be forgiven and who will not. Let me say that it also put an end to me of the whole statement once saved, always saved! Now that is an ongoing debate between Calvinists and Arminians that basically both sides are refusing to see the truth of it. In a nutshell at the end of Ezekiel 18, it states that if you were a sinner, and repented and were forgiven, but return to sinning, that you will be deserving of death for your sin!
24 However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins. ~ Ezekiel 18:24 NLT
I'd say that pretty much sums up how a man living a righteous life can become sinful and die for it! But do not misunderstand this. Just because you may sin during a day, does not mean you will lose your salvation. The key would be whether or not you persist in the sin, or persist in going to God and begging His forgiveness. This is what I mean when I say I sin daily. I mean that I fail Him each and every day and I am in a constant relationship with good communication (praying) to stay in a sanctified state of existence with God. In other words, I make the call to tell How my day is or when things are going bad just simply to say, Father, I need your help again!
It is a constant and continually changing thing because God keeps drawing me closer and closer to Him!
I hear His voice because I, with His help of course, have trained myself to listen for it! How do I know it is His voice and not Satan's in my head? Simple: it matches up PERFECTLY with the Word of God that I study, seek, and try to live in on a daily basis!
Do you not know that the Word of God in text is a direct representation of the Word of God (Jesus Christ) in flesh? The more you read your bible and get to know the Word of God in text, the more you will get to know Jesus Christ in the flesh!
That is my Hope: Jesus Christ! He carries me when I can no longer go forward and takes me the next mile! He gives to me the strength to get up out of bed every day and endure this pain for another day! He gives me His grace (strength, power, endurance) to endure when nobody understands what it is that I am living through and then He gives me His grace (love, patience, kindness) to speak to those people who continually misunderstand me and look at me as if I am totally bonkers!
I am writing this to you today to show you that I have overcome those obstacles in my life that Jesus said that I have to endure for just a little while longer. I am writing to you today to show you that no matter what Satan or anyone throws at you, you can have access to the same grace (love, patience, kindness, strength, power, endurance) of Jesus Christ that He gives to any who ask, if they just ask Him for it when they need it!
So yeah, today was a very hard day for me and I know that I have many more hard days ahead of me before He takes me home. Abide in Jesus Christ and He will also abide in you to bring you that crown of glory to be given when the last trumpet blows!
With love to any who reads this,
Sincerely,
Jay Jordan
17 October 2014
Fear of Ebola? Rejoice Rather Than Fear!
Hello Guys and Gals,
One of the things I am saddened by is the number of Christians who do not know the Word of God and are being scared out of their wits by Ebola! Do you not realize that one of the promises of scripture is that we will not suffer from evil diseases?
15 The Lord will remove all sickness from you; He will not put on you all the terrible diseases of Egypt that you know about, but He will inflict them on all who hate you. ~ Deuteronomy 7:15
And what are the terrible diseases of Egypt other than those very persecutions which God will visit upon the whole of the Earth during that time of judgment as notated in Revelation? Do you not realize that the plagues of Egypt are the same plagues that visit the Earth during judgment in Revelation?
Do you also not realize that we are not to suffer from those diseases as we, being believers, if we are not raptured yet, will be taken up and kept from those judgments?
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven:
Come out of her, My people,so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues. ~ Revelation 18:4
So rejoice with me and apply yourself ever more diligently to the pursuing of Sinners to lead them to repentance before the Lord! For that is our task as believers here upon this mortal realm until such a time as we receive our immortal bodies which are evermore immune to such trivialities as disease and plague! Rejoice with me that God's judgments are coming soon and that we will soon unite with Him in Heaven to be with him forevermore!
NOTE: all scripture in this post has come from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. I find both it and the NASB and the ESV to be the most accurate translations in the modern language today! I also like the NLT, which is highly accurate for a transliterated text! I am also, and have always been a fan of the KJV and the NKJV; yet these two were translated more to keep the people whom they were given to subservient in all ways to the authority of their rulers and therefore are not as accurate as other translations. Beware of other translations as they are not as accurate as these. Can God still use them to reach someone? Sure! But I would not rely upon them for any accurate translation in any messages I would give you!
God bless you all who happen to chance upon this message!
One of the things I am saddened by is the number of Christians who do not know the Word of God and are being scared out of their wits by Ebola! Do you not realize that one of the promises of scripture is that we will not suffer from evil diseases?
15 The Lord will remove all sickness from you; He will not put on you all the terrible diseases of Egypt that you know about, but He will inflict them on all who hate you. ~ Deuteronomy 7:15
And what are the terrible diseases of Egypt other than those very persecutions which God will visit upon the whole of the Earth during that time of judgment as notated in Revelation? Do you not realize that the plagues of Egypt are the same plagues that visit the Earth during judgment in Revelation?
Do you also not realize that we are not to suffer from those diseases as we, being believers, if we are not raptured yet, will be taken up and kept from those judgments?
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven:
Come out of her, My people,so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues. ~ Revelation 18:4
So rejoice with me and apply yourself ever more diligently to the pursuing of Sinners to lead them to repentance before the Lord! For that is our task as believers here upon this mortal realm until such a time as we receive our immortal bodies which are evermore immune to such trivialities as disease and plague! Rejoice with me that God's judgments are coming soon and that we will soon unite with Him in Heaven to be with him forevermore!
NOTE: all scripture in this post has come from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. I find both it and the NASB and the ESV to be the most accurate translations in the modern language today! I also like the NLT, which is highly accurate for a transliterated text! I am also, and have always been a fan of the KJV and the NKJV; yet these two were translated more to keep the people whom they were given to subservient in all ways to the authority of their rulers and therefore are not as accurate as other translations. Beware of other translations as they are not as accurate as these. Can God still use them to reach someone? Sure! But I would not rely upon them for any accurate translation in any messages I would give you!
God bless you all who happen to chance upon this message!
10 September 2014
Blasphemous Thinking In A Politically Correct Society!
Hello Guys and Gals,
Do you know the definition of Blasphemy? The most common definition is also the most misunderstood one: taking the name of the Lord in vain. Why is it misunderstood? Because through translation, traditional teaching, misapplication, and just a general ignorance of scripture, it is not understood in it's purest understanding. Yet if you break down that statement into the plainest understanding of the language, you have a very clear understanding of blasphemy.
Taking (using) the name of the Lord (Jesus Christ, YHWH, Jehovah) in vain (in your own vanity)! This breakdown of the language leads me to believe that the most common definition of blasphemy is simply: taking the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, upon yourself for the sake of your own vanity in the eyes of the world; or calling yourself a Christian without an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ!
Do you know that to truly be a Christian, it is not just saying some magical words one day in church that were given to you by some church leader, who may be a false christian themselves, in order to obtain mercy from God!
Do you know that one of the main teachings of the Emergent Church today is that when Jesus Christ came and was crucified for our sins upon the cross, that he is no longer a God of wrath as in the Old Testament, but rather changed into a God of Love and did away with His wrath forever?
Let us take a look at that thought then.
First, the whole of scripture is replete with the knowledge that God does not change:
29 Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not man who changes his mind.” ~ 1 Samuel 15:29 HCSB.
34 I will not violate My covenant or change what My lips have said. ~ Psalms 89:34 HCSB.
12 You will roll them up like a cloak, and they will be changed like a robe.But You are the same,and Your years will never end. ~ Hebrews 1:12 HCSB.
21 but He became a priest with an oath made by the One who said to Him:The Lord has sworn,and He will not change His mind,You are a priest forever. ~ Hebrews 7:21 HCSB.
But is God now a God of Love excluding His wrath from the cross forward? Does God's wrath no longer apply?
18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. 24 Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen. ~ Romans 1:18-25 HCSB.
25 Make sure that you do not reject the One who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected Him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. 26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what is not shaken might remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire. ~ Hebrews 12:25-29 HCSB.
Not only do these two passages of New Testament scripture testify to the wrath of God, but is this Emergent Church forgetting about the wrath to come given in the Revelation of John the Apostle?
And yet, people still believe that God can be a God of Love and no longer be a God of Wrath. I ask the question of what good does the love of God do for you if it does not save you from the wrath of God that is to come? If there is no more wrath in God, and there is no wrath to come, what good is the love of God? Is it only for a hug? That is the picture which the Emergent Church is putting forth as the new concept of Christ: that He only seeks to love and no longer has any wrath toward anyone in the world.
Well, if a hug is all that is needed, take twenty dollars and go down to the street corner, find yourself a whore and get yourself a hug! Once you have that hug, be content in your life for you have no need to fear God's wrath, for it no longer exists... right?
Or am I blaspheming the god of the world too much with my politically incorrect statement of calling bullcrap on the Emergent Church's doctrine?
The simple fact remains that, without the wrath of God, specifically the wrath of God to come (in the future and soon), there is no longer any need for the love of God!
Well if God does not change, and He is still a God of wrath as He is in the Old Testament, then He would not make void the need for His grace and love by doing away with His wrath!
It is because of His righteous wrath, the wrath that is rightly deserved by a sinful world, the wrath that is to come against all the sin in the world and in the church of false believers calling themselves by the name of my Lord Jesus Christ without an intimate relationship with him, the wrath that has being held in check by the true members of the church praying that all who seek may find salvation by having an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ; it is because of this very wrath of God that our NEED for the grace and love of God exists!
God's grace is extended to us all so that we may escape the wrath that is to come for God would not want any to perish but He must maintain His holiness by dispensing justice rightly to any who transgress against Him; and only those who come to Him on their knees begging for Him to grant unto them His grace which He has made available to all; are they able to escape the wrath of God that is to come upon a sinful world for our rebellion against Him!
Sadly, those who end up in Gehenna, the Lake of Eternal Fire, and become separated from God, are those who choose to remain in their rebellion and slavery to sin and Satan, rather than submit themselves to Jesus Christ in order to gain salvation and find true freedom in life by being in an intimate relationship with Him!
Choose this day whom you will serve! As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Jesus Christ!
May God bless you all this day!
Do you know the definition of Blasphemy? The most common definition is also the most misunderstood one: taking the name of the Lord in vain. Why is it misunderstood? Because through translation, traditional teaching, misapplication, and just a general ignorance of scripture, it is not understood in it's purest understanding. Yet if you break down that statement into the plainest understanding of the language, you have a very clear understanding of blasphemy.
Taking (using) the name of the Lord (Jesus Christ, YHWH, Jehovah) in vain (in your own vanity)! This breakdown of the language leads me to believe that the most common definition of blasphemy is simply: taking the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, upon yourself for the sake of your own vanity in the eyes of the world; or calling yourself a Christian without an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ!
Do you know that to truly be a Christian, it is not just saying some magical words one day in church that were given to you by some church leader, who may be a false christian themselves, in order to obtain mercy from God!
Do you know that one of the main teachings of the Emergent Church today is that when Jesus Christ came and was crucified for our sins upon the cross, that he is no longer a God of wrath as in the Old Testament, but rather changed into a God of Love and did away with His wrath forever?
Let us take a look at that thought then.
First, the whole of scripture is replete with the knowledge that God does not change:
29 Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not man who changes his mind.” ~ 1 Samuel 15:29 HCSB.
34 I will not violate My covenant or change what My lips have said. ~ Psalms 89:34 HCSB.
12 You will roll them up like a cloak, and they will be changed like a robe.But You are the same,and Your years will never end. ~ Hebrews 1:12 HCSB.
21 but He became a priest with an oath made by the One who said to Him:The Lord has sworn,and He will not change His mind,You are a priest forever. ~ Hebrews 7:21 HCSB.
But is God now a God of Love excluding His wrath from the cross forward? Does God's wrath no longer apply?
18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. 24 Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen. ~ Romans 1:18-25 HCSB.
25 Make sure that you do not reject the One who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected Him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. 26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what is not shaken might remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire. ~ Hebrews 12:25-29 HCSB.
Not only do these two passages of New Testament scripture testify to the wrath of God, but is this Emergent Church forgetting about the wrath to come given in the Revelation of John the Apostle?
And yet, people still believe that God can be a God of Love and no longer be a God of Wrath. I ask the question of what good does the love of God do for you if it does not save you from the wrath of God that is to come? If there is no more wrath in God, and there is no wrath to come, what good is the love of God? Is it only for a hug? That is the picture which the Emergent Church is putting forth as the new concept of Christ: that He only seeks to love and no longer has any wrath toward anyone in the world.
Well, if a hug is all that is needed, take twenty dollars and go down to the street corner, find yourself a whore and get yourself a hug! Once you have that hug, be content in your life for you have no need to fear God's wrath, for it no longer exists... right?
Or am I blaspheming the god of the world too much with my politically incorrect statement of calling bullcrap on the Emergent Church's doctrine?
The simple fact remains that, without the wrath of God, specifically the wrath of God to come (in the future and soon), there is no longer any need for the love of God!
Well if God does not change, and He is still a God of wrath as He is in the Old Testament, then He would not make void the need for His grace and love by doing away with His wrath!
It is because of His righteous wrath, the wrath that is rightly deserved by a sinful world, the wrath that is to come against all the sin in the world and in the church of false believers calling themselves by the name of my Lord Jesus Christ without an intimate relationship with him, the wrath that has being held in check by the true members of the church praying that all who seek may find salvation by having an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ; it is because of this very wrath of God that our NEED for the grace and love of God exists!
God's grace is extended to us all so that we may escape the wrath that is to come for God would not want any to perish but He must maintain His holiness by dispensing justice rightly to any who transgress against Him; and only those who come to Him on their knees begging for Him to grant unto them His grace which He has made available to all; are they able to escape the wrath of God that is to come upon a sinful world for our rebellion against Him!
Sadly, those who end up in Gehenna, the Lake of Eternal Fire, and become separated from God, are those who choose to remain in their rebellion and slavery to sin and Satan, rather than submit themselves to Jesus Christ in order to gain salvation and find true freedom in life by being in an intimate relationship with Him!
Choose this day whom you will serve! As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Jesus Christ!
May God bless you all this day!
04 September 2014
A New Question!
Hello Guys and Gals,
God has been speaking to my heart of a couple of topics, and I want to pose a couple of questions for you to consider today. My daily devotions took me into Revelation the other day, and while I was reading the Holy Spirit illuminated something to me in Matthew. Friends, it is amazing how all of scripture agrees with itself and demonstrates that it is inspired by God. So many would have us believe that mere men wrote the scripture, but the Bible proves over and over that it is truly the inspired word of God in text.
My first question to you to consider is this: How is your relationship with Jesus Christ today?
Now I have a second follow-up question: What if you knew that the end of times events described in Revelation had started; would you seek a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ?
Let me preface this post by saying that this is an ongoing study in scripture for me. It has come to light within me by the guiding hand of God and I pray you take heed of my words so that you may find surety in your relationship with Jesus Christ!
I believe that the words in the bible should be taken literally because they are the literal words of God. While I was reading the events of Revelation, Chapters 6 & 7, I began to ask myself the question of when should I head for the mountains as Jesus warned. I then looked up that scripture and found it to be in Matthew, Chapter 24. Then, as I was reading, I started noticing some things that were the same words or phrases used in both of them!
First in Revelation...
12 Then I saw Him open the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred; the sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair; the entire moon became like blood; 13 the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; 14 the sky separated like a scroll being rolled up; and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the military commanders, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 because the great day of Their wrath has come! And who is able to stand? ” ~ Revelation 6:12-17.
Then in Matthew...
5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains. ~ Matthew 24:5-8.
15 “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand ), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ~ Matthew 24:15-16.
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days:The sun will be darkened,and the moon will not shed its light;the stars will fall from the sky,and the celestial powers will be shaken.
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. ~ Matthew 24:27-31
Now add to this the fact that Heavenly places can also mean High places or Places of Rulership or Worship. And stars can mean those who shine like stars in the eyes of the world. Keep in mind that stars falling from high places is different terminology than celestial powers. Stars falling from high places can mean those who are celebrated in society will fall from their status in the world's eyes. And celestial powers being shaken literally means the powers of the celestial areas: or more accurately stated as things in outer space! Could this be referring to some satellites falling? Or does it mean stars in our skies falling to the Earth? Or are there two different meaning with these two statements: one being the rulers falling from grace and the other referring to a meteor shower or something similar?
These are all questions in my mind and heart that are wanting a clearer understanding. Yet one thing is clear to me, the Tribulation times described in prophecy in the Word of God are coming into play! I know my relationship with Jesus Christ is a very intimate relationship where I strive to learn and love at his feet! Is your relationship also intimate? Are you following Jesus where Jesus went? Are you sure of your salvation in your intimate relationship with Jesus that there is no doubt at Jesus telling his Father that you are one that he does know well?
May God bless you all this night!
God has been speaking to my heart of a couple of topics, and I want to pose a couple of questions for you to consider today. My daily devotions took me into Revelation the other day, and while I was reading the Holy Spirit illuminated something to me in Matthew. Friends, it is amazing how all of scripture agrees with itself and demonstrates that it is inspired by God. So many would have us believe that mere men wrote the scripture, but the Bible proves over and over that it is truly the inspired word of God in text.
My first question to you to consider is this: How is your relationship with Jesus Christ today?
Now I have a second follow-up question: What if you knew that the end of times events described in Revelation had started; would you seek a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ?
Let me preface this post by saying that this is an ongoing study in scripture for me. It has come to light within me by the guiding hand of God and I pray you take heed of my words so that you may find surety in your relationship with Jesus Christ!
I believe that the words in the bible should be taken literally because they are the literal words of God. While I was reading the events of Revelation, Chapters 6 & 7, I began to ask myself the question of when should I head for the mountains as Jesus warned. I then looked up that scripture and found it to be in Matthew, Chapter 24. Then, as I was reading, I started noticing some things that were the same words or phrases used in both of them!
First in Revelation...
12 Then I saw Him open the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred; the sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair; the entire moon became like blood; 13 the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; 14 the sky separated like a scroll being rolled up; and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the military commanders, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 because the great day of Their wrath has come! And who is able to stand? ” ~ Revelation 6:12-17.
Then in Matthew...
5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of birth pains. ~ Matthew 24:5-8.
15 “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand ), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ~ Matthew 24:15-16.
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days:The sun will be darkened,and the moon will not shed its light;the stars will fall from the sky,and the celestial powers will be shaken.
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. ~ Matthew 24:27-31
Now add to this the fact that Heavenly places can also mean High places or Places of Rulership or Worship. And stars can mean those who shine like stars in the eyes of the world. Keep in mind that stars falling from high places is different terminology than celestial powers. Stars falling from high places can mean those who are celebrated in society will fall from their status in the world's eyes. And celestial powers being shaken literally means the powers of the celestial areas: or more accurately stated as things in outer space! Could this be referring to some satellites falling? Or does it mean stars in our skies falling to the Earth? Or are there two different meaning with these two statements: one being the rulers falling from grace and the other referring to a meteor shower or something similar?
These are all questions in my mind and heart that are wanting a clearer understanding. Yet one thing is clear to me, the Tribulation times described in prophecy in the Word of God are coming into play! I know my relationship with Jesus Christ is a very intimate relationship where I strive to learn and love at his feet! Is your relationship also intimate? Are you following Jesus where Jesus went? Are you sure of your salvation in your intimate relationship with Jesus that there is no doubt at Jesus telling his Father that you are one that he does know well?
May God bless you all this night!
07 August 2014
Are You Keeping The Line Busy?
Hello Guys and Gals!
I have been contemplating on whether on why more people do not hear the voice of God within them like I do. If you do not understand what I am talking about, let me explain. I hear God's voice very clearly within me. It is not audible in my head, or ears, or mind. It is within my very being! I do not know quite how to explain it other than that and those who also hear it will know exactly what it is I am speaking about; and those that do not hear it will simply not understand!
But back to the contemplation of why more do not hear God's voice, I believe there are some very likely answers to talk about; and maybe even some which I have not thought upon. But the one I want to tackle today is the one in which I am wondering if you are keeping your line too busy for God to get through to you on it.
We live in a world where technology is progressing by leaps and bounds. It seems just yesterday that Al Gore invented the internet! (Chuckles to myself) Still, that small humor aside, technology is advancing at a very speedy rate. It also seems to me that so many people have smart phones that they are making society dumber as a result of it. But let's think even more critically on what we are filling our eyes, ears, and minds with. If people are not listening to music of some sort in the car, then they are listening to talk radio or letting their children watch some dvd or other streaming media. And at home it's football, football, football... and occasionally another sport thrown in during the football off season. Then comes the TV shows, movies, soaps, news, and our all time favorite of CARTOONS!
Is there ever a time when we turn every thing off and be still? Is there ever a time where we truly listen and think? Scripture tells us to, "Be still, and know that I am God." ~ ESV. Is there ever a time in which you turn everything off and think upon what God has shown you today? What about when you read His word? Are you meditating upon it in silence?
As for me, I have made it a habit to have silence about me when I read His Word in the morning and make sure that the only thing entering in at that time is His Word. I think upon it. I talk to what it is I read in the morning with my friends and family throughout the day. At times in the middle of the day, I take the time to meditate upon it. And even when I do not understand a particular text, I ask God to help me to understand it in the times when I meditate upon it. He has always been good to me and has always answered every single one of my requests.
I have always stated that God will answer any and every question one asks of Him. It may be that the answer is No or not yet; it may be the answer is Yes but not yet; it may be that the answer is I have something better for you; and it may be a very specific thing as to how something works that you do not know; but He will always answer any and every prayer request given unto Him!
My main prayer of late is simply to draw closer to Him, as when I think upon Him, and I do think upon Him a lot, I do not feel as if I know Him as well as I would like to know Him and I simply ask to draw closer to Him! He has been continually drawing me closer and closer to Him to such a degree that, if I am listening or reading or watching something, and it does not happen to be about Him, I feel a void there that I used to enjoy, a void that is only filled by learning more about Jesus!
And now I hear His voice, the voice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and one third of the Triune God! He is my Lord, my King; He is my Everything!
I encourage you today to turn everything off! I encourage you to do this when you read scripture, when you pray, or when you simply want to meditate upon what you read or prayed about. I make you a promise: if you do this, and if you ask sincerely with a heart seeking an answer, and if you listen with every part of your being, you will also hear His voice when He answers you!
So are you keeping the line so busy that you cannot hear God's voice when He speaks to you? If you are, then hang up and turn everything off so that you can keep the line open for that call from God, the Creator of all Creation and He will assuredly bless you in what He has to tell you!
May the Lord Jesus shine His light upon your path today and may you hear His voice as He tells you of His love for you!
I have been contemplating on whether on why more people do not hear the voice of God within them like I do. If you do not understand what I am talking about, let me explain. I hear God's voice very clearly within me. It is not audible in my head, or ears, or mind. It is within my very being! I do not know quite how to explain it other than that and those who also hear it will know exactly what it is I am speaking about; and those that do not hear it will simply not understand!
But back to the contemplation of why more do not hear God's voice, I believe there are some very likely answers to talk about; and maybe even some which I have not thought upon. But the one I want to tackle today is the one in which I am wondering if you are keeping your line too busy for God to get through to you on it.
We live in a world where technology is progressing by leaps and bounds. It seems just yesterday that Al Gore invented the internet! (Chuckles to myself) Still, that small humor aside, technology is advancing at a very speedy rate. It also seems to me that so many people have smart phones that they are making society dumber as a result of it. But let's think even more critically on what we are filling our eyes, ears, and minds with. If people are not listening to music of some sort in the car, then they are listening to talk radio or letting their children watch some dvd or other streaming media. And at home it's football, football, football... and occasionally another sport thrown in during the football off season. Then comes the TV shows, movies, soaps, news, and our all time favorite of CARTOONS!
Is there ever a time when we turn every thing off and be still? Is there ever a time where we truly listen and think? Scripture tells us to, "Be still, and know that I am God." ~ ESV. Is there ever a time in which you turn everything off and think upon what God has shown you today? What about when you read His word? Are you meditating upon it in silence?
As for me, I have made it a habit to have silence about me when I read His Word in the morning and make sure that the only thing entering in at that time is His Word. I think upon it. I talk to what it is I read in the morning with my friends and family throughout the day. At times in the middle of the day, I take the time to meditate upon it. And even when I do not understand a particular text, I ask God to help me to understand it in the times when I meditate upon it. He has always been good to me and has always answered every single one of my requests.
I have always stated that God will answer any and every question one asks of Him. It may be that the answer is No or not yet; it may be the answer is Yes but not yet; it may be that the answer is I have something better for you; and it may be a very specific thing as to how something works that you do not know; but He will always answer any and every prayer request given unto Him!
My main prayer of late is simply to draw closer to Him, as when I think upon Him, and I do think upon Him a lot, I do not feel as if I know Him as well as I would like to know Him and I simply ask to draw closer to Him! He has been continually drawing me closer and closer to Him to such a degree that, if I am listening or reading or watching something, and it does not happen to be about Him, I feel a void there that I used to enjoy, a void that is only filled by learning more about Jesus!
And now I hear His voice, the voice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and one third of the Triune God! He is my Lord, my King; He is my Everything!
I encourage you today to turn everything off! I encourage you to do this when you read scripture, when you pray, or when you simply want to meditate upon what you read or prayed about. I make you a promise: if you do this, and if you ask sincerely with a heart seeking an answer, and if you listen with every part of your being, you will also hear His voice when He answers you!
So are you keeping the line so busy that you cannot hear God's voice when He speaks to you? If you are, then hang up and turn everything off so that you can keep the line open for that call from God, the Creator of all Creation and He will assuredly bless you in what He has to tell you!
May the Lord Jesus shine His light upon your path today and may you hear His voice as He tells you of His love for you!
25 July 2014
Canon Of Scripture!
Hello Guys and Gals,
Do y'all know what Canon of Scripture is or where it started? I thought I knew once. I was wrong. I have been reading a book called The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy that defines and explains what Canon of Scripture truly is and how it truly started. Let me just say that it is truly an eye opener. Now I will refer to what is in this book and specifically in the chapter on Canon that Eric Ludy wrote; yet it will only be a few references and I hope to say something new which I think we all know already with this blog today.
Canon started when Moses had led the Hebrews out of Egypt and they had not yet come to the Promised Land. It was called The Korah Rebellion. It was when the leaders and those of good reputation of the Hebrews: the learned and well thought of leaders of the Hebrews, came to Moses and Aaron and said, "Who gave you the authority to rule over us? Who picked you to be in charge? Why is it you are so special and what you say is deemed truth?" ~ page 187 of The Bravehearted Gospel.
What eventually happened is each of the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel each wrote their name upon their rod of rulership (often known as a sceptre) and they put them in the tabernacle (where dwelt God in the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day: also known as the Shekinah), and whosoever's rod budded would be shown to be the one whom God appointed to be holding the chosen authority of God in the camp of Israel.
Needless to say, it was Aaron's rod, which not only budded, but also bloomed and bore almonds. Thus was the authority of Moses and Aaron established in the camp of Israel to have the divine right (chosen by God Himself) to rule and control Israel. This was how the first 5 books of the bible became the first Canon, or measuring rod, of scripture itself.
Thus, with the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Old Testament) being the first Canon of Scripture, all of the books of the Old Testament had to meet a very specific and very strict measurement in order to be considered Canon in the eyes of the Hebrews. So with each new book of the bible, it had to meet those measurements and not contradict (disagree with) anything that preceded it within the bible.
This is why the Apocrypha is not considered as Canon because it could not stand up to the Canon Test of the Old Testament, as many points in the Apocrypha contradict the first 39 books of the bible, and as such are not considered Canon!
The Old Testament promised of a Messiah to come which would be the One Branch which would meet and pass the Canon Test and become the measurement of God as to what all Scripture should attain to. It would be impossible for one man to ever meet that Canon Test (Note that the Canon Test came and existed before the man who did meet it resided upon the Earth) unless they had help in meeting that test by God Himself! Yet Jesus Christ did meet that test as a man to become the very Branch, or Rod of Measurement, by which the Word of God, or Scripture, is shown to the world.
And yet, with all that being said, none of that matters to another person until the Holy Spirit confirms within their very own heart or spirit, the truth of Jesus Christ being the only way they can attain to salvation and forgiveness given in the world, so that they can enter into a loving and guiltless relationship with God Almighty and then begin to live a triumphant life in Christ as He lives in us with all His power available to us in our relationship with Him!
Do you have that confirmation? Have you felt that sure knowledge within your very being? If not, pray and ask God for it! Not only that, but also pray and ask Him to help you in your unbelief! He is faithful and sure to give it! If you do not take my word for it, then do something else: Be BOLD and CHALLENGE God to prove you wrong in your unbelief! I guarantee it is one challenge He will always answer!
I guess what I am saying is this: if you do not have that confirmation within your soul, ask for it or dare God to prove it to you, and watch what my God will also do for you as He has done for me!
May God bless you all this day with that very confirmation within your soul (inner being)!
Do y'all know what Canon of Scripture is or where it started? I thought I knew once. I was wrong. I have been reading a book called The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy that defines and explains what Canon of Scripture truly is and how it truly started. Let me just say that it is truly an eye opener. Now I will refer to what is in this book and specifically in the chapter on Canon that Eric Ludy wrote; yet it will only be a few references and I hope to say something new which I think we all know already with this blog today.
Canon started when Moses had led the Hebrews out of Egypt and they had not yet come to the Promised Land. It was called The Korah Rebellion. It was when the leaders and those of good reputation of the Hebrews: the learned and well thought of leaders of the Hebrews, came to Moses and Aaron and said, "Who gave you the authority to rule over us? Who picked you to be in charge? Why is it you are so special and what you say is deemed truth?" ~ page 187 of The Bravehearted Gospel.
What eventually happened is each of the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel each wrote their name upon their rod of rulership (often known as a sceptre) and they put them in the tabernacle (where dwelt God in the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day: also known as the Shekinah), and whosoever's rod budded would be shown to be the one whom God appointed to be holding the chosen authority of God in the camp of Israel.
Needless to say, it was Aaron's rod, which not only budded, but also bloomed and bore almonds. Thus was the authority of Moses and Aaron established in the camp of Israel to have the divine right (chosen by God Himself) to rule and control Israel. This was how the first 5 books of the bible became the first Canon, or measuring rod, of scripture itself.
Thus, with the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Old Testament) being the first Canon of Scripture, all of the books of the Old Testament had to meet a very specific and very strict measurement in order to be considered Canon in the eyes of the Hebrews. So with each new book of the bible, it had to meet those measurements and not contradict (disagree with) anything that preceded it within the bible.
This is why the Apocrypha is not considered as Canon because it could not stand up to the Canon Test of the Old Testament, as many points in the Apocrypha contradict the first 39 books of the bible, and as such are not considered Canon!
The Old Testament promised of a Messiah to come which would be the One Branch which would meet and pass the Canon Test and become the measurement of God as to what all Scripture should attain to. It would be impossible for one man to ever meet that Canon Test (Note that the Canon Test came and existed before the man who did meet it resided upon the Earth) unless they had help in meeting that test by God Himself! Yet Jesus Christ did meet that test as a man to become the very Branch, or Rod of Measurement, by which the Word of God, or Scripture, is shown to the world.
And yet, with all that being said, none of that matters to another person until the Holy Spirit confirms within their very own heart or spirit, the truth of Jesus Christ being the only way they can attain to salvation and forgiveness given in the world, so that they can enter into a loving and guiltless relationship with God Almighty and then begin to live a triumphant life in Christ as He lives in us with all His power available to us in our relationship with Him!
Do you have that confirmation? Have you felt that sure knowledge within your very being? If not, pray and ask God for it! Not only that, but also pray and ask Him to help you in your unbelief! He is faithful and sure to give it! If you do not take my word for it, then do something else: Be BOLD and CHALLENGE God to prove you wrong in your unbelief! I guarantee it is one challenge He will always answer!
I guess what I am saying is this: if you do not have that confirmation within your soul, ask for it or dare God to prove it to you, and watch what my God will also do for you as He has done for me!
May God bless you all this day with that very confirmation within your soul (inner being)!
17 July 2014
Leave And Cleave!
Hello Guys and Gals,
Have you ever considered what it means to 'Leave and Cleave'? In Matthew 19:5-6, Jesus speaks about this:
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. ~ KJV
When a man and woman join together in marriage, they both are instructed to leave their former relations behind and join themselves to their new relation of their spouse so tightly that the two are now considered one. I have been thinking upon this for some time now. I know most of us think of this as leaving their parents and brothers and sisters behind to become married to their new spouse so that they can form a family together. But I think it goes a bit deeper than that.
Before I get to the deeper aspect of this command, let's take a close look at what the command is like under the popular view of marriage. When a man, or woman, enters into a covenant relationship with their new spouse, they are to leave behind their parents and brothers and sisters, right? But what if they do not? They still remain tied to their old relationships and still yearn for and desire to depend upon their parents and brothers and sisters when trouble comes. Well, trouble comes and instead of the man and woman depending upon each other for an answer to their solution, you have one or both of them returning to their family for support and/or a solution to their problem. Say that one family has money and can easily afford to help out the newlyweds, and do so. Then the one, whose family did not help, becomes a touch jealous, yet also relieved, that the problem was solved by the other's family. Well the two people who were joined did not face this trouble on their own and did not depend upon each other for their own security in this problem. Eventually, jealousy rears it's ugly head and they end up fighting over going to the other's family for help when they were just trying to help. Basically, the newlyweds had a chance of growing stronger together as a single unit, or family, and instead of doing so, one or both of them depended on their family for the strength to solve the problem at hand. In the end, you have a marriage which is loosely bound together and eventually ends in divorce; much like many marriages today do!
Earlier in this post I quoted from the King James Version so that we could see where the term, 'Leave and Cleave', comes from. I'd like to take a look at those same verses again in the English Standard Version which I believe gives the clearest meaning in our modern day English language of what it means to Leave and Cleave. Here are the verses again:
5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” ~ ESV
In this translation or version of the scripture, we see that when you leave the father and mother you are to 'hold fast' to the spouse of whom you left your family to join. Hold fast: An interesting concept! Think about how this worked before the modern age of telephones and automobiles and jet airliners and things which allow you to communicate or travel long distances in very short periods of time. When a man, or woman, left their family, they left and were unable to stay in close communication with them and had no choice but to hold fast to their new spouse if they were to find success in their new marriage. They could not easily turn to their parents for help. They could not go stay at their parent's house because of an argument and cool off. They did not have close communication and so, if they did not hold fast to their new spouse, then they would be either a far distance, or unable to communicate with those they wanted to in order to solve their problems. They had NO CHOICE but to work it out with each other and grow stronger as a family and learn to depend wholly upon each other so that they could be seen as a single family, one unit, in the eyes of the world.
Now, let's take a look at the deeper level of meaning which I was referring to. Were you aware that the Church is considered the Bride of Christ Jesus? Doesn't Jesus refer to the Church as being the Bride in his telling of the Parable of the Ten Virgins as seen in Matthew Chapter 25:
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. ~ ESV
The deeper aspect of meaning to the principle of Leave and Cleave that I am referring to is this worldly realm compared to the Heavenly realm! When we become Christians, or give ourselves to Jesus Christ by seeking forgiveness for our sins, we become the Bride of Jesus Christ as we become a member of the Body of Christ, otherwise known as the Church of Jesus Christ. If we, being the Bride of Christ, are meant to Leave and Cleave for our marriage to Jesus, what exactly are we leaving and what exactly are we cleaving to? We are leaving all the worldly relations we now have for that greater relation with Jesus Christ. Jesus testifies to the reward of those who leave their family and riches for his name's sake in Matthew 19:29 as it is shown here:
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. ~ ESV
The Apostle Paul as much as declares it boldly in the following passage:
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. - Ephesians 5:29-32 ~ ESV
So my question to you tonight is simple: have you left all of everything: your former relations, your riches, your homes, your hobbies, your sports trophies, your accolades, your desires, and all your dreams; behind to hold fast to your new marriage with your new groom, Jesus Christ, who gave his very life to enter into this covenant with you? If you haven't, maybe consider what you haven't given up so that you can move into that deeper relationship with Jesus Christ!
May the Lord Jesus Christ indwell each and every one of you who reads these words to the saving grace of salvation!
Have you ever considered what it means to 'Leave and Cleave'? In Matthew 19:5-6, Jesus speaks about this:
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. ~ KJV
When a man and woman join together in marriage, they both are instructed to leave their former relations behind and join themselves to their new relation of their spouse so tightly that the two are now considered one. I have been thinking upon this for some time now. I know most of us think of this as leaving their parents and brothers and sisters behind to become married to their new spouse so that they can form a family together. But I think it goes a bit deeper than that.
Before I get to the deeper aspect of this command, let's take a close look at what the command is like under the popular view of marriage. When a man, or woman, enters into a covenant relationship with their new spouse, they are to leave behind their parents and brothers and sisters, right? But what if they do not? They still remain tied to their old relationships and still yearn for and desire to depend upon their parents and brothers and sisters when trouble comes. Well, trouble comes and instead of the man and woman depending upon each other for an answer to their solution, you have one or both of them returning to their family for support and/or a solution to their problem. Say that one family has money and can easily afford to help out the newlyweds, and do so. Then the one, whose family did not help, becomes a touch jealous, yet also relieved, that the problem was solved by the other's family. Well the two people who were joined did not face this trouble on their own and did not depend upon each other for their own security in this problem. Eventually, jealousy rears it's ugly head and they end up fighting over going to the other's family for help when they were just trying to help. Basically, the newlyweds had a chance of growing stronger together as a single unit, or family, and instead of doing so, one or both of them depended on their family for the strength to solve the problem at hand. In the end, you have a marriage which is loosely bound together and eventually ends in divorce; much like many marriages today do!
Earlier in this post I quoted from the King James Version so that we could see where the term, 'Leave and Cleave', comes from. I'd like to take a look at those same verses again in the English Standard Version which I believe gives the clearest meaning in our modern day English language of what it means to Leave and Cleave. Here are the verses again:
5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” ~ ESV
In this translation or version of the scripture, we see that when you leave the father and mother you are to 'hold fast' to the spouse of whom you left your family to join. Hold fast: An interesting concept! Think about how this worked before the modern age of telephones and automobiles and jet airliners and things which allow you to communicate or travel long distances in very short periods of time. When a man, or woman, left their family, they left and were unable to stay in close communication with them and had no choice but to hold fast to their new spouse if they were to find success in their new marriage. They could not easily turn to their parents for help. They could not go stay at their parent's house because of an argument and cool off. They did not have close communication and so, if they did not hold fast to their new spouse, then they would be either a far distance, or unable to communicate with those they wanted to in order to solve their problems. They had NO CHOICE but to work it out with each other and grow stronger as a family and learn to depend wholly upon each other so that they could be seen as a single family, one unit, in the eyes of the world.
Now, let's take a look at the deeper level of meaning which I was referring to. Were you aware that the Church is considered the Bride of Christ Jesus? Doesn't Jesus refer to the Church as being the Bride in his telling of the Parable of the Ten Virgins as seen in Matthew Chapter 25:
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. ~ ESV
The deeper aspect of meaning to the principle of Leave and Cleave that I am referring to is this worldly realm compared to the Heavenly realm! When we become Christians, or give ourselves to Jesus Christ by seeking forgiveness for our sins, we become the Bride of Jesus Christ as we become a member of the Body of Christ, otherwise known as the Church of Jesus Christ. If we, being the Bride of Christ, are meant to Leave and Cleave for our marriage to Jesus, what exactly are we leaving and what exactly are we cleaving to? We are leaving all the worldly relations we now have for that greater relation with Jesus Christ. Jesus testifies to the reward of those who leave their family and riches for his name's sake in Matthew 19:29 as it is shown here:
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. ~ ESV
The Apostle Paul as much as declares it boldly in the following passage:
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. - Ephesians 5:29-32 ~ ESV
So my question to you tonight is simple: have you left all of everything: your former relations, your riches, your homes, your hobbies, your sports trophies, your accolades, your desires, and all your dreams; behind to hold fast to your new marriage with your new groom, Jesus Christ, who gave his very life to enter into this covenant with you? If you haven't, maybe consider what you haven't given up so that you can move into that deeper relationship with Jesus Christ!
May the Lord Jesus Christ indwell each and every one of you who reads these words to the saving grace of salvation!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)