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“Christianity” today says God is love… tickle, tickle, tickle… and leaves off the part about sin, hell, and judgment. What this says is that God is less personal and less concerned with our lives because after all he loves everyone and there are no consequences to our sinful decisions. This is like a father that says he loves his children, but does not discipline them for their disobedience. This isn’t love at all!
Yes, God is Love! However, God is also Just! Since God cannot sin he holds himself accountable to the laws and judgements he established before the worlds were framed. “But ye denied the Holy One and the Just” Acts 3:14
The biggest problem I see with “God is Love” Theology is it is unbalanced and ACCEPTS (not just tolerates) sinful lifestyles and living conditions within what are called the Lord’s churches. There are many churches that accept (into their membership) openly gay couples, unmarried common law relationships, etc. There is no call for repentance in the message they call the gospel. This obviously makes it another gospel and universal salvation. Jesus died for everyone!
The message of Peter and the early church filled with the Holy Spirit of God was as follows… “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:19
I have preached more funerals lately than all of 10 years of ministry. It is appointed unto man once to die, you can count on it! There is no need to doubt this one.
Tomorrow I will preach my grandmother’s funeral. She was last of all four grandparents to pass into eternity. I preached for 2 of them (grandmother and grandfather) 3 years ago, and tomorrow will be the last 2 within a month’s time (grandfather and grandmother). My grandfather passed away 3 weeks ago. He also knew the Lord!
There isn’t a sad bone in my body concerning her death. There isn’t really anything special about tomorrow other than its the day that we could all get together to put her body in the grave. My grandmother has been ready to go for a long time! She had two children besides her husband go on before her. I’m sure she wants to see them, but most of all she was ready to see her Savior!
We haven’t seen the resurrected Savior, but last Saturday she stepped into HIS presence. I imagine she fell down at HIS feet and worshipped HIM as she always did here! I’m glad I had grandparents who loved the Lord.
If you remember to pray for us tomorrow, please lift up those who will be at the funeral who have yet to trust our Jesus!
The following prophecy was written around 500 years in advance. The majority of scholars, secular and biblical accept the time frame of the wittings of Daniel as accurate. The ones who reject the book are those with an agenda that is dishonest and unscholarly.
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks (7-seven year periods), and threescore and two weeks (62- seven year periods): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” Daniel 9:24-26 KJV Another version:
24 “Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.
25 “Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.
26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; Daniel 9:24-26 NKJV
The word “weeks” literally translated from the Hebrew should read, “sevens”. The verse begins, “Seventy sevens are determined upon thy people”. These are weeks of years and not weeks of days.
Seventy sevens is a ref. to 70- 7 year periods. The total years equals 490 years.
This is a prophecy directed to Israel (more specifically the southern kingdom of Judah) who has been in captivity for 70 years in Babylon. The reason they are in captivity is because they disobeyed God for 490 years previous to their captivity. They were commanded to do something (not relevant to the discussion) on the 7th year for 490 years and they disobeyed, therefore they were in exile for every 7th year they disobeyed-which equals out to 70 years.
The above scriptures are written towards the end of their exile. An additional 490 years future prophecy is made by Daniel. Let’s break it down.
“from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks (7-seven year periods), and threescore and two weeks (62- seven year periods):”
7 X 7 year periods = 49 years
62 X 7 year periods = 434 years
Totaling = 483 years
Here is the prophecy- From the degree of King Artaxerxes of Persia to rebuild Jerusalem in 445 BC to the time that Jesus was crucified was 483 years.
If you multiply 483 years by 360 (the number of days in a Biblical year) the total number of days in the first 69 sevens (483 years) is 173,880. If one begins counting on March 14, 445 B.C., and goes forward in history, these days would run out on April 6, A.D. 32. It was on this day that Jesus made his triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem! It was on this day that the Pharisees plotted to murder Jesus. He would be cut off, but not for himself!
Isaiah 53 describes the circumstances and suffering of the Lord exactly as occured 700 years in advance!
The prophecy of Tyre (very detailed) in Ezekiel 26 was fulfilled to the “T” and is still holding it’s fulfillment today. Ezekiel stated the city would never again be inhabited. Tyre has never been rebuilt, in spite of the well-known nearby fresh water springs of Roselain, which produces over 10,000 gallons of fresh water each day. This place is one of the most strategic locations on the Mediterranean Sea and still no city! God said it would never be rebuilt! The details get much more specific than what I have shared!
These are a few of hundreds of very specific prophecies fulfilled in the scriptures! The Bible is not vague like many other religious books and writings.
This is an answer I gave in a recent discussion…
The Old and New Testaments are combined in one book because they are connected to a progressive theme. Notice the word “old”. The word old means old for a reason. The Old Testament had it’s purpose. The Old Testament was fulfilled by Jesus, hence the New Testament supercedes the Old.
The purpose of the written Law of Moses and The Old Testament (including the 10 commandments) was to show man (specifically the Hebrews first) that he could not achieve the righteousness of God. It was to demonstrate to man that there is a great consequence for not being able to keep the Law of God (SIN has a consequence). The Law of Moses could not be kept perfectly, therefore man realized he was doomed. If a person broke one detail of the law it was just the same as being guilty of breaking every law (James 2:10). So, if God knew man could not keep the law why make it? To point men to Jesus! It was for the purpose of man realizing he couldn’t keep the law and needed a Savior. Thus all the sacrificial commandments in the law were types and symbolic of the coming messiah, “The Lamb of God” which would take away the sins of the world. Isaiah 53, written over 700 years before Jesus was born, describes his death and suffering.
Genesis 3:15 (1400 years before Jesus was born) refers to Jesus as the seed of the woman. Since women do not have seed, it is understood as a reference to the virgin birth of Jesus. He would be born of a woman without the seed of a man. Of course this would be a miracle, something only God can do!
The point is that the entire Old Testament was to point man to Jesus. The Apostle Paul explains it well in the New Testament Epistle to the Galatians.
“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Galatians 2:21
“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster (tutor) to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Galatians 3:24
The reason Jesus could be our sacrifice is because he fulfilled the law by keeping every detail of the law (that is, the law God originally gave-not manmade changes such as issues like the Sabbath confusion of which he was attacked by the strict hypocrites of his day). When Jesus died on the cross, he abolished the Old Testament Law.
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances (the law) that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow (a ref. to the Old Testament symbols of the coming Christ and eternal rest in Christ) of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Colossians 2:13-17
In the following passage The Apostle Paul makes perfectly clear what I have shared concerning the Old and New Testaments. Just like above I have added parenthetical helps.
“Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter (law), but of the spirit: for the letter killeth (points to death), but the spirit giveth life (faith in Jesus results in the indwelling Spirit of God). But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory (the law condemns), much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory (righteousness in Christ-New Testament). For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious (the law was done away with), much more that which remaineth is glorious (the New Testament Remaineth). Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:6-14
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It’s getting crazier and crazier out there! New books, new ways, new ideas-the Word is just not good enough. Is there power in the gospel or not? Romans 1:16
This seems to be the new Christian way! People are becoming more familiar with what modern man’s ideas and philosphies are than the Bible itself. I could care less about all the new movements and new ideas about how to do church. There are a thousand ways to do church, just make sure Jesus and the Bible are the center of what you do. In our study groups and churches we need to spend more time in the Word, not less! The small amount of time we meet compared to all the other activity time we have in a week just doesn’t add up. Who are we influenced by when we think we have something better to offer than God himself?
It is amazing how ignorant some people are of what the Bible actually says. It shows up in their writings and conversations. Some people spend time on one section or subject of the Bible and because they do this they miss valuable information that contradicts their position on that same subject. Stop reading MORE books and start reading the Bible MORE!
I’m not Anti-books, but I am Anti-running with whatever you read just because its something new or different! This world doesn’t need any extra help with unbelief and rejection of the Bible. Don’t be the reason things get worse!
Satan has been trying to replace the Bible for years!
“PREACH THE WORD” 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2
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Greeting:
What’s up?!
Message:
Do what you said you were going to do!
Conclusion:
All is vanity if not for the kingdom sake!
