Can you see in 2020? Apparently, you can if you have the King James Version of the Bible.

Posted on 12/16/2020 by remso

I was recently made aware of Robert Breaker III, and his video teachings on end times events and a few other things. 

An internet search on his background gives you this information from the about page of thecloudchurch.org/.

“Robert Breaker III is an ordained King James Bible Believing Independent Baptist Minister. His father lead him to the Lord on July 29, 1992. A few years later he enrolled in the Pensacola Bible Institute and graduated there in 1998 with a Bachelors of Divinity. While attending Bible School, Robert pastored the Garcon Point Baptist Church for a short time. Two weeks after graduation, Robert journeyed to Honduras, where he eventually became a Missionary for seven years, planting several churches. Today Robert is a member of an Independent Baptist Church in Monterrey, Mexico, and travels throughout Central, South, and North America fulfilling his God-called ministry as a Missionary Evangelist to the Spanish-speaking people.”

I was directed to Robert Breaker from another YouTube video site, and the first thing I looked at was this. Can You See in 2020?

The YouTube sight for Robert Breaker explains the video and title – to some degree.

“Missionary Evangelist Robert Breaker asks if you can see in the year 2020, and how what is happening now in the world appears to be pointing to the soon coming rapture of the church and the rise of the antichrist mark of the beast system.”

I am giving you all this information, even though it is relatively brief because I thought that the person directing me to Robert indicated that he had a doctorate. As best I can tell, he does not.

I am NOT trying to discredit the brother, in fact, I rather like his teaching style because he uses a whiteboard so that I can see what he is doing, he has a voice that is easy to listen to, and he uses scripture to back up his claims. Now, to be honest, this last portion of my statement gives me a tad bit of grief, and here is why. Robert advocates the King James Version of the Bible ONLY. He tells you, this is because the KJV is the ONLY version that is true to the original texts, and, it is approved by God and is the inherent (original) Word of God.

Let’s address this KJV ONLY idea for a moment.

Dr. Chuck Missler, years ago, informed us, that of the translations, the KJV was the sanest only because the ERRORS were well known and documented. I suppose that means that with other translations, the errors are not so well documented. 

So, do I throw away any Bible I have that has errors? NO, because you would not have a bible worthy of usage. I rely on the Holy Spirit of God, which abides in me and teaches me, to speak to me about odd things I find in particular translations, and then I begin asking questions, such as, does the statement that I am reading diminish the authority and character of God. At that point, I merely look to other translations that convey the subject matter that I believe the Holy Spirit is trying to convey, most clearly. If it matters to you I have over 30 Bible translations that I can draw from on the Bible Study program I use, and I use many of those translations with frequency.

Robert Breaker implied that translators of the KJV searched the original manuscripts diligently, to produce this fine document, with all it’s “thees and thous”. The reality is, that the KJV met with much dissent from the presbytery, and they disputed the usage of the King’s colloquialisms as the common man did not use such language. So translators produced a product tailored for the King. Can anyone else see a problem with this?

End of page one.

Let me show you an ERROR that I was recently made aware of. You need to know that this error pervades virtually every translation since the 1600s; and, that an error of this magnitude tends to indicate that most did not go to the original texts but merely copied the error of others.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

This verse, and the phrase “a falling away” coming first, is preached frequently, especially in our current environment; an environment that has everything to do with a presumed governmental lockdown of businesses, the normalization of masks, a mandatory spatial distancing from others, and church closures, all because of Covid 19. This attack on our freedoms comes as almost all the voices on the internet, who are relaying their dreams and visions are emphasizing that the Lord’s return for His church is imminent.

The usage of the phrase “a falling away” implies that there has yet to be a turning away from the church and hence the Lord before the Antichrist can appear on the scene. 

Even though the English phrase is incorrect, how much more do we, as a church, have to do to turn our backs on God?

I became aware of this error, NOT ONLY with the KJV but the many other translations that use this terminology, while listening to Pastor JD Farag of Calvary Chapel Kaneohe, Hawaii. (https://www.youtube.com/user/alohabibleprophecy).

Pastor JD explained one recent Sunday morning, how that he learned of the error through Dr. Andy Woods, who had written a short booklet on this very subject (The Falling Away: Spiritual Departure of Physical Rapture?: A Second Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:3), and how that in the 1600s the state church, the Catholic church was disgusted and angered by parishioners who were leaving the church and migrating to Protestantism; therefore, church leadership decided to insert some added guilt and manipulation into scripture and make it the official Bible of the church. Translators were commissioned to change the words of this verse, in which the original Greek word – apostasia, was changed to read “a falling away.” Dr. Woods tells us that you have to go back to one of the earliest printed translations to find an appropriate translation with the words “the gathering”, and you find it in the Geneva Bible, which was printed in 1587, in contrast with the KJV which was published in 1769.

So, what then is 2 Thessalonians 2:3 supposed to say?

According to Dr. Andy Woods, the original word apostasia should have read, the gathering. I am not going to take the time to give you all the research and the reasons for this word apostasia to read, the gathering, but most can see that the phrase, the gathering is a game-changer for our understanding; and, I will add that this passage has been a constant source of confusion for me, for years. 

Here I have inserted the correct wording.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a gathering first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

With the words “a gathering first” I have come to understand that the church must be removed before the man of sin can be revealed. We are not waiting for anything else to happen.

If you are not convinced as yet, then I implore you to do two things: (1.) Look at the Geneva Bible’s translation of this verse, and (2.) continue reading 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, which will give an added context for verse three.

I will show you the Geneva Bible here and add, it looks peculiar.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Geneva (3) Let no man deceiue you by any meanes: for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne be disclosed, euen the sonne of perdition,

Whether it reads, a departing, or a gathering, makes no difference as both return us to the Son who is coming to gather His church – His body.

End of page two.

From the Museum of the Bible, we get this information about the Geneva Bible.

“Chapters and verses make it easy to read today’s modern versions of the Bible, but that wasn’t always the case. Although little known today, the Geneva Bible was considered by many as the most influential English Bible of the 16th and 17th centuries. The King James Version of the Bible in 1611 owed much of its success to the popularity of the Geneva Bible. Translated by the best Protestant scholars of the day, the Geneva Bible was highly regarded. It’s thought to be the Bible Puritans brought with them to America on the Mayflower, and it was the first Bible to use chapters and numbered verses, as well as marginal notes.”

If you continue on to 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 you will see a comparable declaration, that shouts with clarity.

NASB (6) And you know what restrains him now so that in his time he will be revealed. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. (8) Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

Here it is plainly stated that something is restraining the man of sin; and, that he (the lawless one) will ONLY be revealed when the restrainer is removed. We, the church, are that restrainer. There is no confusion, as verse 7 definitely implies a gathering of the church. Previously, when verse three read “the falling away”, there was nothing less than confusion. Verses 6-8 have never been a point of confusion, however, it was not uncommon for the preacher to leave those three verses out of the message. So gathering is the more appropriate word in verse three.

While I may not have convinced you about the usage of the word gathering, I would hope that you can see that there is NO perfect translation and that WE, as good students of the Bible, need to do comparative readings from other translations.

I will continue with a brief look at the teaching that Robert Breaker gave in the next post.

End of page three.

By the way, if you had not caught on, I am writing to believers – followers of Christ. I do so because ERROR and false teaching are running rampant in the church, and because we choose to cling to tradition rather than the Word of God we stumble all over these broken teachings. Example: One brother in Christ spewed some of his false teachings on the Bible study one morning, and so I challenged him on what he said by using the Word of God. He got a pained look on his face and then said, that’s my opinion and that is all that matters. Sorry my friend but it is the Word of God that matters, and that should be the end of all arguments. That seems like a magical concept, but then you all know that we Pharisees are prone to fight with each other.

Jesus is coming back soon. Ignore the fighting and put your faith in Jesus, the one who put himself on that cross, so that you might live.

Posted in 2 Thessalonians, antichrist, apostasia, Apostasy, apostasy, Catholic Church, COVID 19, departure, false teaching, Geneva Bible, God's character, Hearing God, lawlessness, strange doctrines, straying from the truth, teachers, teaching a different doctrine, Thoughts, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

He appeared to more than five hundred brethren. 1 Cor 15:5-11

Posted on 12/12/2020 by remso

We ended the last study on these verses.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NASB (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Of the utmost importance is the fact that Christ died for our sins. If you knew the scriptures and had some faith, that statement alone would be enough for you; there is, however, more. The Jews knew the scriptures, yet they chose NOT to believe, receive, or acknowledge Jesus. An excellent piece of evidence for their unbelief comes out of this story from Matthew 2.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'” Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. (Matthew 2:1-7 NASB)

Deeply troubled, for several reasons, Herod calls the chief priests and scribes of the Jews and inquired as to where this King of the Jews was born. They knew the answer and exclaimed, in Bethlehem of Judea.

Micah 5:2 AMP But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; [yet] out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days (eternity).

Note how, in our example from Matthew, there was no denial and no refusal, but it was there. The fact that Herod had to turn to the Magi for answers is the most damaging piece of evidence against them, for their refusal to receive Jesus.

Many were aware of Christ’s death on the cross. The Apostle John was standing close enough to the cross for Jesus to direct John to take care of Mary, Jesus’ mother. Others witnessed this event, although they may not have understood what had taken place or what was about to occur.

There was a man named Joseph, who was from Arimathea in Judea. Joseph was a good and honest man, and he was eager for God’s kingdom to come. He was also a member of the council, but he did not agree with what they had decided. (Luke 23:50 CEV)

Though many despise the man, Kenneth Copeland preached a powerful message called, From the Cross to the Throne. What happened during those three days? We have evidence that tells us what happened during that time, and Hebrews 5 is one of them.

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:8-10 NASB)

Page 1.

He (Jesus) suffered, not only the beatings, but the cross, and then hell itself. Yes, I have heard mere men like Hank Hannegraf express his scorn toward those that think that God could be put in hell. But what you, who are unwilling to accept that piece of information, forget is that Satan thought he had won. As far as Satan was concerned, he had killed Jesus. The problem with Satan’s logic is that hell was made for those who sinned, and that would have included all of us were it not for Jesus and the cross. Jesus was NOT born into sin like we are; and, He never sinned. Satan had put Jesus there illegally, kind of like Joe Biden and this rigged election. The difference being, because Jesus never sinned, Satan could not hold Him, and this is why Jesus was able to rip the keys of death, hell, and the grave from that moron’s hands; preach to the captivity, and set them free.

Let’s park here for a moment.

How many different ways could a person understand captivity?

At least a couple. Being born into sin, we are, in a sense, in captivity as we speak. The other definition of captivity comes from doing Satan’s will.

2 Timothy 2:24-26 NASB The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, (25) with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, (26) and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

This would be a most unfortunate and hopeless situation if there were no salvation. Ah, but there is a way to reverse this hopeless situation, and His name is Jesus. That change from a hopeless person to one that is hope-filled only comes through faith in Jesus’ price that He paid on the cross for you, and, occasionally, it requires that we walk away from things that would enslave us.

Romans 6:5-7 NASB For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, (6) knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; (7) for he who has died is freed from sin.

So if you find yourself doubting your salvation, or wondering if there are legitimate reasons for your salvation, keep in mind that there were witnesses. Paul spells out, in generalized terms, who they were. I will walk through this slowly.

1 Corinthians 15:5-7 NLT He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. (6) After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. (7) Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

At the time of its writing, this statement was vital, as many of these people knew Peter by visual contact. To add that most of these witnesses are still alive is like telling these readers to go look them up for yourself, as they will validate what I say. When you realize Paul’s potential age, as he wrote this letter to the church in Corinth around 59 A.D., you can guess the ages of those living witnesses and ascertain that they may not be around much longer.

Our faith is not the ramblings of fools and older men; they were the words of Jesus/God. John, in the opening lines of his gospel, tells us that Jesus spoke the worlds into existence.

Page 2.

John 1:1-3 NASB, In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being.

He told us what He was going to do, and then He did it with such a precision that it leaves the wisest baffled. He rose from the dead and is now seated with the Father. God put Him there and the writer of Hebrews tells us that.

Hebrews 1:1-4 NASB God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, (2) in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. (3) And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (4) having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

He is not merely lounging around, waiting for His next mission, He is constantly standing on our behalf much like a defense attorney.

Hebrews 7:25 NASB Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them.

What Paul says next is a challenge to understand.

1 Corinthians 15:8 NASB (8) and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

Some translations talk as though Paul is saying that he should have been aborted. I would like to tell you that something like this never happened in Paul’s day, but I cannot attest to the fact that it did not. Murdering a baby, as we do today, was detestable to the Jews, although handing your newborn into the arms of the god Moloch is no better. So, to read something like abortion is absurd, and therefore, forces us to look at some other meaning. The assumption then would be, that after all these years, perhaps he now wishes he could have been there at the beginning and walked with Jesus, as these disciples did. Paul tends to answer the question for us.

1 Corinthians 15:9 NASB (9) For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Why would he say, I am the least of the apostles?

Peter, originally called to be the apostle to the Gentiles, fumbled the ball, and Paul, in time, picked it up and ran with it, although we, for the longest time, still see Paul with a focus on the Jews.

When Paul says, I am not fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church, it makes sense. Remember, Paul told us he had a thorn in the flesh. You can continue to rant how you know what Paul’s thorn was, based on some traditional but incorrect teaching. Still, you fail to remember that Paul, was above all else, an astute theologian, with the only known composition they had, the law and the prophets. There, in the book of Numbers, God told Israel to eliminate the Canaanites, or they will become pricks in your eyes and thorns in your flesh. This reference to scripture by Paul tells us that he did not adequately eliminate something from his life.

Page 3.

If you have read the book of Acts, then you can admit that Paul was not only a passionate man but a man capable of a fast temper. Remember, he chased off John Mark and Barnabas, a decision that he may have regretted for years, and yet, there is this statement from Paul.

1 Corinthians 15:10 NASB (10) But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain, but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

  • But by the grace of God, I am what I am.

What is it that Paul turned out to be? Only one of the most influential writers of not just the New Testament, but the Bible itself. If one of us Gentile believers thinks about a writer of the Bible, we think about Paul. You would think he wrote the book of Acts. He didn’t, but he was a dominant player as we learn about the grace of God first hand. We also saw the labors of Paul as he went on his missionary journeys. And finally, we see Paul point to the fact that it was the grace of God working through him that makes his labors so significant.

Paul closes out this fifteenth chapter of 1Corinthians with this comment.

1 Corinthians 15:11 NASB (11) Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Wow, Paul put tremendous trust in the idea that others were following Paul’s lead and preaching the same message that Paul preached. We know he struggled with this idea and told young Timothy:

1 Timothy 1:3 NASB As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,

As many of you know, doctrines are the foundational reasons for us having church, and clearly, this had become a problem in Ephesus. The phrase “to teach strange doctrines” is merely a repeat of the same word three times. It translates to English as instruct differently. Example. If the doctrine is one of salvation upon the cross, and you tell the Christians that attend your Bible study weekly that they are sinners with no hope of anything other than hell’s flame, then you are instructing differently. By the way, I mention this because I attended a bible study in which the leader repeatedly said such things.

Many of us have sat under false teachings. It is nothing short of a miracle, or perhaps God’s grace that we have come to know and understand this grace – the same grace that Paul preached.

One last thing. This forgiveness on the cross happened once, with no reason, whatsoever, to repeat the event, as the Jews had to do with their sacrifices. Having believed, we are saved eternally.

Hebrews 5:8-9 NASB Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. (9) And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

In Christ, we have eternal salvation.

Posted in 1 Corinthians, author, bible study, doctrines of demons, Faith, finisher, Jesus, strange doctrines, straying from the truth, teaching a different doctrine, the goal of our instruction, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. 1 Cor 15:1-4.

Posted on 12/11/2020 by remso

 I realize it is not 1 Timothy chapter six, but it has been on my heart for several days. So I am going to work through this with you. The KJV, and probably most others, entitle this section, THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, and certainly, that is a prominent aspect of the conversation, but it so much more.

It is the primary reason for our hope.

Here is the first part of the passage. I will break it down – as usual.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Paul tells the readers, found in the church at Corinth, that, once again, this is the gospel which I preached to you. I am not sure how germane this information is to the passage, but I immediately found myself curious about what he preached and where he preached.

Corinth is in the southwestern area of what we now call Greece – it was formerly called Achaia. Athens is on the opposite and eastern coast of Greece. The letter was written from Ephesus, which is on the western coastline of Asia Minor, almost directly opposite of Athens. Immediately, this tells me that this was not a prison letter. Prison has a way of adding additional stress.

Paul’s first missionary journey does not show him going to Corinth at all. The second missionary journey does have Paul going to Corinth and then almost directly to Ephesus. Mind you, while this stretch between Corinth and Ephesus seems short on paper, this was wind-powered vessels at best and may have taken months.

How long was Paul in Ephesus that he heard about Corinth’s issue that needed to be readdressed?

We have a time frame of two years for the entire journey.

Dr. J Vernon McGee observes, “You remember that when he came out on this second journey, the Spirit of God would not allow him to come down to Ephesus. Now, on his way back, he stops at Ephesus, but he does not stay there very long.”

For me, the statement – very long, is a comparative term, and without something to compare this to, it is hard to determine a time frame. It could have been a couple of weeks; if that was the case, it was a clear and powerful sermon about the good news of Jesus. Since we know that Paul was preaching to Jews (who are best a hard sell), it is hard to imagine that a message about Jesus and His death on the cross made its point in one sermon.

For those who wish to argue, thinking that the Bible was written for and about Gentiles, let me point something out in the scriptures. Paul, even when he was Saul, entered into the Synagogues at every opportunity. In Damascus, as a new believer, and one that had to deal with an open resistance because he, only days before this, was trying to get Christians killed, was now, with some of the disciples in Damascus, was proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues.

End page one.

Acts 9:17-20 NASB So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (18) And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; (19) and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days, he was with the disciples who were at Damascus (20) and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.“

When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.

Acts 13:4-5 NASB So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. (5) When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

They arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue.

Acts 13:13-16 NASB Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. (14) But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down. (15) After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” (16) Paul stood up and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews. I will give you a heads up. The Bible translators added the word Gentiles. It may have been a logical assumption based on what we see in Acts 17:4 KJV, where it says,

“And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women, not a few.”

Acts 17:16-17 NASB Now, while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. (17) So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present.

This last verse is odd, and even more so, I asked a Jewish convert if Gentiles were allowed in the synagogues. His answer was crisp and immediate NO. Now, this may not be the atmosphere these days, but considering how the Jews that did not appreciate Paul’s message treated him, they would have run the Gentiles out of the synagogues.

Acts 18:2-4 NASB And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, (3) and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. (4) And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

We see in Acts 18 that Paul and Aquila – a Jew, worked together, making and selling tents. A place that would have had everybody mingling about, and Paul took every opportunity to advance the gospel of Jesus; and, yes, the Gentiles would have heard.

End page two.

Eugene Peterson’s “The Message” has a different spin to it.

Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time—this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand (1 Corinthians 15:1 MSG)

As for me, I have to remind myself, frequently, of what I believe should be solidly embedded within me.

  • “Which also you have received.”

These people, even though they may have had Paul in their faces, are no different than you or I. We, in fact, have an advantage in that we have the written and this very letter that Paul wrote to this church.

So when we read, you have received, what is Paul saying?

Obviously, Paul is speaking to those who have received the gospel of and about Jesus. The word received can mean several things, from a casual hearing of the word to a full-blown life-changing event thanks to this relationship with Christ. The interlinear Greek indicates that in receiving this word, the hearers have come alongside.

But, alongside what?

Jesus, the salvation that He brings, and His message to the world.

  • Another piece of information, which could seem vague, is this statement, “wherein you stand.”

Didn’t I open this study in 1Corinthians 15:1-4, with my own acknowledgment? I occasionally have to be reminded of this hope, and even why it is believable. I have talked about this over the years, and many have expressed their scorn and surprise, as though I have made a choice to forget or ignore the goodness of God. Actually, it is quite the contrary, as the sudden and momentary realization that I am trying to control the world around me drives me staggering back to God, where I rehearse something similar to these verses here in 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4.

To use terminology like wherein you stand does not tell me much because sometimes I am NOT standing in the right place, or I inadvertently stepped in a mud puddle. I know I am being simplistic, but I am trying to make a point.

Some of us still have good brains capable of holding onto information; mine used to work like that. You would think that by my own efforts, I could make myself firm or become established in God’s ways and heart toward us. The problem with that kind of thinking is that you can do nothing, outside of having faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, to change my life. Oh, sure, some motivational speaker can make you think you are in charge, but that person on stage does not seem to know that we are all broken people, incapable of fixing ourselves, and that is why we needed a savior – Jesus. There is a strong sense that once you belong to Christ, He never lets you go, and that is true.

And this last statement takes us to verse two.

End page three.

It is not only the gospel message, but it is the fact that you came alongside Jesus with a conscious decision, but it is also the fact that the Father, who was waiting for you the entire time, establishes you and makes you firm. This word, very clearly, holds you fast. You know what many call this? Eternal Salvation. It is not that you can maintain a condition that holds you tight to Jesus; it is the Father who has engraved you upon His hand that now holds you.

For me, a primary scripture that speaks to the fact that God will never let go of you comes from John’s gospel.

John 10:27-30 NASB “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; (28), and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (29) “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (30) “I and the Father are one.”

Some will use 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 as an anchor for their eternal salvation. Don’t get me wrong, we are eternally saved, but verse two, which says, “by which you are saved, if,” is a conditional conjunction; and, much like a computer logic flowchart, you have to determine if you have met the conditions that make the statement work. One sister in Christ who clings to the KJV of the Bible probably sees something like this.

1 Corinthians 15:2 MKJV by which you also are being kept safe, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain.

If I chose to accept the MKJV at face value, then it would be easy to apply the idea of eternal salvation if that was all it said. The problem is the minority of those that chose to interpret Paul’s thought in this manner. My friend chooses to ignore the conditional “if” aspect of the verse. This “if” is NOT a negative interpretation, which we understand as we consider the verse’s context. Should you look at a translation like the ISV, you will see that Paul is talking about an ongoing process in which we are in a continual state of being saved from the trials (tribulations) this world dishes out throughout our lives.

1 Corinthians 15:2 ISV “… by which you are also being saved if you hold firmly to the message I proclaimed to you—unless, of course, your faith was worthless.”

Paul continues, as he emphasizes an aspect of the message he previously preached.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NASB (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

In giving US this information, he tells us that what he about to say was of the utmost importance.

  • Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

End page four.

Romans 6:8-10 NASB Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. (10) For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Romans 8:3 NLT, The law of Moses, was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body, God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB (21) He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Hebrews 9:25-28 NASB nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. (26) Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world, but now once at the consummation of the ages, He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (27) And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, (28) so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

This one verse speaks to Christ dying for our sins; and, it answers the questions about His death and resurrection.

1 Peter 3:18 NASB For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

I do not know how much time we have left here on earth; the Church is about to be called back home to be with Jesus.

How do I know that I will be among them?

For the same reasons that you would, if you are a follower of Christ, because we came alongside Him and made a decision to ride this bus until it reaches the destination no matter how difficult the road gets. The faith that I applied, and it wasn’t much in my eyes, caused me to be in Christ, and I am deemed a follower of Christ and a part of the church – the body of Christ.

Some would say, what about all the things you have done?

It doesn’t matter to the Father anymore, as Jesus took it all to the cross with Him – past, present, and future sins. And, in case you are keeping score, all sins are covered, and I gave you scripture for that. Even if, as one might say, your sins are BIGGER and more freakish bizarre than mine; it doesn’t matter, as they are all covered in that blood – blood that blankets all sins, including the sins of those deemed to be outside of God’s grace; they, even if the rapture comes, are still entitled to the forgiveness of God, the only difference is that during the time of wrath after the church is gone, you will have to prove your dedication to God through your death.

If you have ever wondered why so many of us speak of such horrors, it is because we don’t want you to have to endure the absolute hell that is coming upon the earth. It doesn’t take but half a brain to see what is coming. These globalists are not on your side.

Posted in 1 Corinthians, bible study, strange doctrines, straying from the truth, teaching a different doctrine, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Serve all the more diligently. 1 Timothy 6:2-5

Posted on 12/10/2020 by remso

 In the course of our daily lives, do you live with a deep concern that something you said could damage God’s reputation to the point that people will say bad things about God and the teachings that are found in scripture?

While they may think that person just ruined who God is for me, the reality is, you cannot ruin God’s reputation. He stands above all else, no matter how badly you screwed up. This conversation was associated with 1 Timothy 6:1, where Paul spoke about the relationship of a slave with their master – the person with the whip. When we covered this verse, it was easy to see that this directive can easily apply to the employee/supervisor relationship; and this is spelled out distinctly by Dr. J. Vernon McGee when he said.

“The Christian should render a full day’s work for whomever he is working. If he agrees to work until five o’clock, he should work until five o’clock. Then sometimes workers leave with their pickaxe hanging in the air—they don’t finish up. The Christian is to turn in a full day’s work for a full day’s pay.”

There are plenty of people who see how badly you look when you act like this, and this is a worst-case scenario.

1 Timothy 6:2 initiates a section that the NASB translators entitle:

False Teachers and True Contentment.

The translations vary a little, and to be honest, I have to struggle to find common ground in some of them.

1 Timothy 6:2 CJB And those who have believing masters are not to show them less respect on the ground that they are brothers; on the contrary, they should serve all the more diligently since those benefiting from their service are believers whom they love. Teach and exhort people about these things.

Hold up a minute here. This translation is expressing the idea that this slave/laborer thinks that it would be appropriate to disrespect this owner/boss/supervisor MERELY because they are a follower of Christ.

What would possess you to think that is appropriate?

I used to sit with a group of men who apparently thought that excessive cussing was something that grace permitted you to do. Let me remind you that Jesus DID NOT come to do away with the Law. He came to fulfill the Law.

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18 NASB)

Besides that, this law, since the time of the Holy Spirit, is written upon our hearts.

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart, I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:31-33 NASB)

The words of Jeremiah are repeated in Hebrews 10:16, validating the prophetic theme of the Word in the New Testament.

So, you are still controlled by the Law and yet free. Ah, the mystery of grace. Being controlled by the Law does not mean that we have to be circumcised to come into a relationship with Jesus Christ; that relationship happens based on faith alone. However, merely because you call yourself, a Christian gives you no excuse to abuse others, especially those who are a part of the fellowship.

1 Timothy 6:2 goes on to say,

“but must serve them all the more.”

Another way of stating this, according to the NLT, “Those slaves should work all the harder.” Context tells us that this is talking about those in subservience, whether a slave or an employee. If you had a question about why you should work all the harder, Paul explains why this makes sense.

As God’s Word translation states,

“because those who receive the benefit of their work are believers whom they love.”

Perhaps you never thought of this relationship you have with others in this manner?

The Moffatt translation finishes off verse two in this manner.

“This is what you are to teach and preach.”

We are not preaching business; we are teaching the advantage of righteous relationships.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 NASB If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, (4) he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, (5) and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

I could stretch my imagination and say if anyone advocates that grace gives them the freedom to be offensive to everyone with their cussing; they are, at minimum, wrong; and, they are, by their actions, not conforming to sound doctrine, which is godliness.

Paul continues the descriptions by saying they are:

  • conceited,
  • understand nothing,
  • have a morbid interest in controversial questions,
  • among those who dispute about words. The NLT translation tells us that, “Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words.” If this person can have an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words; then, there is an appropriate place and purpose for discussing the meanings. In my own interactions, I have pointed out that even the simplest of words does NOT mean what you think they mean. You also have to remember that our scriptural translations result from man’s research and the underlying motivations that drove these early translations. One of the predominant examples of a bad translation can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Here, at the direction of the State church – the Catholic church, the word apostasia, which means the gathering, was changed to read, the falling away – the apocalypse, to reflect the disgust the church felt toward those who had left the “mother” church and gone over to Protestantism.

To continue Paul’s descriptions, because of their actions, they cause:

  • envy
  • strife
  • abusive language to flourish
  • and evil suspicions to arise.
  • and constant friction between people with depraved minds who are deprived of the truth
  • And, you suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

Look at how the NLT conveys verse five.

1 Timothy 6:5 NLT These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.

Paul tells us how to identify the person who advocates a different gospel; this could be essential information for Jesus, who told us about the tares and the wheat, knew full well that you can’t legitimately tell by a casual look if someone carries a false doctrine inside them; for when they begin talking what they say frequently sounds good, and appeals to the passions of our heart at the moment.

An example of this comes to mind, in light of our new Los Angeles County, California lock-down, in which we are supposed to stay indoors, where we live. Even though we are locked-down, we can go shopping and to church – but in an even more restricted public environment than previous limitations. And, we are free to protest without restrictive considerations. Hiking trails are still usable, as long as you don’t interact with anyone outside your homegroup.

Personally, since I know that the Covid 19 is nothing less than a bogus means of controlling the populace, I am enraged, and I don’t know what to do with this anger I feel. A friend of mine, who borders on homelessness because he lives in his camper (by choice,) claims that he has never worn a mask during this time of the Covid.

How is that possible?

It can only work through attempts at aggressive refusals, but that can only work for so long, and then you get arrested by tired, angry law enforcement, who is being played by the government.

I have met these people who advocate a different gospel in my migration through several churches over the years, and so have you. And, though these individuals do not hold every detail of Paul’s description in one human being, they are out there none-the-less. So we have to be prepared to pick out those with false doctrines by their words and actions.

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Those who are under the yoke of slavery – 1 Timothy 6: 1

Posted on 12/02/2020 by remso

We have moved into 1 Timothy chapter six. I thought we would never get here.

I have got to tell you that this opening line leaves me with the feeling that we have lost the context, and I will show you why.

1 Timothy 6:1 CJB Those who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as worthy of full respect so that the name of God and the teaching will not be brought into disrepute.

I have seen East Indian children’s videos, who are sold into slavery, more than likely so that the family can eat for a short time. That child has the potential of being brought up in the worst of conditions. How you could ever ask that child to have respect for their “owner” is beyond me.

Perhaps we do not understand the word respect or what Paul is asking these new followers of Christ to do.

Yoke is the Greek word zugos, and means joined, coupled, or in servitude to.

Slave(s) is the Greek word doulos and literally means a slave, whether involuntarily or voluntarily.

Regard is the Greek word hēgeomai. It means to consider, count, or esteem.

Esteem, according to the dictionary, is to set a value on.

So we learn that to regard is to set a value upon, in this case, a person. This does not mean that they are deserving of accolades; however, Paul is telling those of us who are subject to others to CONSIDER them as one who deserves esteem – value.

Masters is the word Greek word despotēs. This word covers a wide range, from a husband to an absolute ruler, (a) “despot.”

According to Webster’s dictionary, a DESPOT is an emperor, king, or price invested with absolute power, or ruling without any control from men, constitution, or laws. Hence in a general sense, a tyrant.

So you might say, I can’t relate to being a slave; ah, but most of us can relate to working under a person who may be deemed a boss, a supervisor, or a manager; and, in some cases, they could be thought of as a despot.

My experience was with an assistant store manager, who knew full well that he was speaking to the store opening crew; and, that of the five departments that were represented at this store opening meeting, we were the ones who made things happen. On this particular morning, we were not only open, with customers on the floor, but under additional pressure to maintain the store as though we were getting ready for an inventory inspection. Having said what he felt he needed to say, this manager released the crew to go back to their departments, only to immediately call us back to himself twice, flexing his manager’s muscles and demanding that we “down-stock” our shelves. That might not seem like a big deal to you, but most of the product that this manager referred to existed on the top shelf, about nine feet above the sales floor. Accessing things from this shelf meant that you had to use hydraulic lift equipment, block off two sales aisles, and take another person from their department to help service yours. The employees standing there that morning perceived the threat that came out of his mouth, and the pained look on their faces proved it. So, I decided to say something. I told him that what he was asking for was impossible at this hour, but I will make it happen. While many of the crew that morning thanked me for standing up to the despot, I was still fired a few days later.

Paul is telling me that I am to “regard my master as worthy of full respect.” I can tell you that even though I had seen how authoritarian this manager could be, I regarded this manager as worthy of full respect prior to that morning.

Webster’s dictionary says that amends means to compensate for a loss or injury.

Having gone through recovery, I learned that an aspect of the healing process is making amends; that is what my sponsor asked of me. Try doing this to someone you have injured, or, in the case of this tyrannical manager, I humiliated him by pointing out the stupidity of his demand in front of the crew. Without the prodding of a sponsor, I did try to make amends to this despot (I wasn’t in recovery as yet). I found the process of making amends humiliating as you make yourself very vulnerable when you do it, and there is NOTHING that says they have to extend forgiveness and acceptance back to you. The fact that I can still speak in this manner about the man probably means that I still hold malice toward him.

One other example and this one only fits into this category marginally. I attended a men’s bible study in which the majority of the men were over 75. The leader said things as though they were doctrine, and yet they were NOT in the bible. An elder who had been an elder since I was a teenager (I am now 68) claimed to have the job of keeping the teacher inline. He never once corrected the nonsense and was even a proponent of much of what the teacher said.

I chose to regard both of these men as worthy of full respect. To me, that means I was good-natured when spoken to and responded when addressed. I disagreed with most of what they said, and I would raise my hand when I felt the need to make a challenge. Sometimes they would ignore me. In case you don’t know this, and though I usually say it to women who have had abusive relationships, you need to forgive the person, no matter who it is. However, there is nothing about forgiveness that says you have to give this unsafe person space in your life again.

For me, the tyrannical manager became a despot, and this understanding was proven out by conversations I had with other former employees who experienced his wrath through termination.

But there is a reason for treating those who can tell us what to do as worthy of full respect, and it has everything to do with this statement.

“This will keep people from saying bad things about God and about our teaching.” CEV

If I use this first letter to Timothy as the “only” context, what then is the teaching that people will say bad things about?

If you fly through the letter to Timothy, you find:

  • Warnings against false teachers. 1Timothy 1:3-11.
  • An understanding that Christ came to save sinners. Well, that was all of us. 1 Timothy 1:12-20.
  • A directive to pray for all people. 1Timothy 2:1-15.
  • The qualifications for overseers/elders, and deacons. 1 Timothy 3:1-13.
  • An understanding of the mystery of Godliness. 1Timothy 3:14-16.
  • The words from Paul that some will depart from the faith. 1Timothy 4:1-5.
  • What a Good Servant of Jesus Christ looks like. 1Timothy 4:6-16.
  • The entirety of chapter five applies to the instructions to the church. 1 Timothy 5.
  • False teachers and contentment. 1 Timothy 6:1-10.
  • Fighting the good fight of faith. 1 Timothy 6:11-21.

So there is no one decisive passage in Paul’s letter to Timothy about which a person could say, this is the concept that would be harmed. Maybe Dr. J. Vernon McGee demonstrates what should be considered as a focus.

“The Christian should render a full day’s work for whomever he is working. If he agrees to work until five o’clock, he should work until five o’clock. Then sometimes workers leave with their pickaxe hanging in the air—they don’t finish up.”

A question.

How many people have you known who said they were Christian and were nothing more than worthless bums? Their work ethic stinks the place up if they show up to work, and their mouths are an embarrassment. These unfavorable assets that Paul spells out are the opposite of what we call the fruit of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22-24 NASB But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. (24) Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

One of those people who stink the place up is the father of several of my grandsons, and his fruit tends to rot on the tree. I frequently have to remind myself that God is the judge. The truth be known, I want God to kick him down the street, but I choose to believe that God is merciful beyond understanding and full of grace toward us, so my hopes will probably not be fulfilled, and that is a good thing.

If any of this paragraph held validity in God’s kingdom, then I and these anonymous others would make people say bad things about God and about our teaching. I have done things and walked away shaking my head as I said, well, there is one more I will never be able to share Christ with.

Posted in 1 Timothy, Apostle Paul, bible study, disciplined, grace, hypocrisy, Law of liberty, Mercy, Peace, spiritual gifts, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Elders who do their work well should be respected. 1Timothy 5:17-25

Posted on 11/17/2020 by remso

With this post, I am finishing the fifth chapter of Paul’s letter to Timothy, with a few interjections and thoughts.

1 Timothy 5:17 NLT Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.

Elder is the Greek word presbuteros. To the Jews hearing this, it was directly associated with members of the Jewish council or Sanhedrin. In early times, the rulers of the people, judges, etc., were selected from older men.) From: Thayer’s Greek Definitions

I cannot merely say this is talking about older church members, although the more senior members will probably have sage wisdom and expertise because of time and experience. The mere fact that Paul refers to these persons preaching and teaching tends to point to church leadership. Just saying the phrase “church leadership” leaves a bad taste in my mouth, as several church leaders caused me great emotional harm. Others are clearly into leadership because it holds the opportunity for significant monetary gain within the mega-churches. Apparently, with COVID 19, those days are gone.

Let’s talk about the monetary aspect for a moment. Though relatively simple in this translation, the passage tells us that those who do their work well should get paid well, especially if they are also teaching and preaching.

Can you be a teacher or preacher and be bad at it?

That seems to have possibilities, but why wouldn’t others, such as church leadership or the audience in general, weed you out if you were terrible at what you were doing?

In my own experience, our former church deacon board voted to bring on a pastor, who was primarily a Christian school administrator before coming to the church I was at back then. We know this about him because he boasted about the paddling board that hung in the Principal’s office and how often he used it. As a pastor, he was lousy. His teachings were all oriented toward acceptable business practices and principles. He refused, for at least two years, to speak of salvation and the price Christ paid for our sins at Easter. He maintained his position as the pastor for at least 15 years, and by the time he left, the church had dwindled from about 250 people to about 80.

Considered worthy is the same Greek word said twice, now go figure that out. It is the word axioō and carries the meanings of 1) to think meet, fit, right. 2) to judge worthy, deem, deserving

Double is the Greek word diplous and means two-fold: – double.

Honor means value or money paid.

The NASB tells us, all this should happen, especially for those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

Now, look once again at what I witnessed; that pastor may well feel that he was working hard. And I would never dispute that he put together a satisfactory harvest festival, but he was NOT a good preacher, nor was he a bible teacher.

1 Timothy 5:18 NLT For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.”

So the result is, the elder who is doing their job well should get paid twice what the others get paid.

Does anyone else see the potential for conflict?

Well, even if you don’t see it, it is there, for what do you use as the standard for what is good, and there were plenty of people at that little church, 80 to be precise, that thought he did a fine job.

1 Timothy 5:19 Moffatt NT (19) Never let any charge be brought against a presbyter unless it is certified by two or three witnesses.

Do you see a dominant word in this sentence?

—— End of page 1—–

Well, I do, and it is the word NEVER.

The NASB puts it this way, “Do not receive an accusation against.” It almost comes across as though the pastor and the elders are somehow protected.

Only days ago, the current date is 11/13/2020, the pastor of Hillsong New York was removed and effectively fired. Wisely, they did not tell us the details but simply stated that he had a moral failure.

Another of the churches I attended announced that a particular man was coming to try out as pastor. When they mentioned his name, I retorted, I know that man. He, too, had been removed from his pulpit for a moral failure; actually, it was a rather public and catastrophic failure. Several of the men I sat with at Bible study said, we will never have this man here. I said in response, you will. In doing that, I was merely telling them what I heard the Holy Spirit say. And guess what, he was voted in, even after having an open forum and telling the audience, in response to a couple of questions, that he had passed naked pictures of himself across the internet while he was pastor at the other church. It almost seems as if the current twisted Congress had voted him, despite common sense.

The idea of never letting a charge be brought against someone like this seems absurd. Ah, but there is a reasonable solution, and it has everything to being supported by two or three witnesses (CJB.)

1 Timothy 5:20 NASB Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.

Do you get the impression that this church is out of control?

Remind yourself why Paul wrote this letter.

1 Timothy 1:3-4 NASB As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, (4) nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

Obviously, this was happening, and YOUNG Timothy has been ordained to straighten out these people in Paul’s absence. By the way, Paul may never be back.

Strange doctrines are anything we teach in opposition to what Paul taught. This makes me think that Paul was the standard for what teaching looked like. I wonder how many people actually experienced that?

“so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”

In the last few years, there has been a cry from the 80+ crowd for sound preaching that convicts people of their sins. Having sat under this style of preaching for what seemed like forever, I can see images in my head of what that sounds like. For me, a focus on hell tends to focus you on hell. Does that make sense? Focus on the mercy and grace of God, and maybe you would long for the mercy and grace of God. In 1 Timothy 5:20, where Paul tells Timothy to rebuke them openly so that the rest will be fearful of sinning, tends to imply that the public embarrassment would be enough to stop others from sinning. I will add that the word sinning is italicized in the NASB, but if you look up the word fearful, you will find that fear is the Greek word’s intended meaning.

Wasn’t that the purpose of the stocks, public torture, meant to bring about pain and humiliation. If it is so effective, why not return to the stocks once again?

Because, as Paul told Timothy, be gentle with them. Rebuking someone publicly doesn’t sound so gentle; it is for this reason that we need to revert to the origins of the words being used, for these words were the interpreter’s idea of what was being said; that and, they were under pressure to produce a product that suited the king and the “state church.”

The word rebuke is the Greek elegchō, and it also means to confuse, admonish, convince, and reprove.

—— End of page 2 —–

Confute, according to Webster’s, is to disprove; to prove to be false, defective, or invalid. By argument or proof.

It sounds like this is not so much meant to humiliate, but to instruct; this is what Christian Apologists do, they confute. In this heated political atmosphere of 2020, we here in America have a young man named Charlie Kirk. He is an apologist on so many levels, including history, religion, and law. You will rarely find him losing ground in a rational argument. I used the word sane because many will try to argue, but they are merely screaming and have NO intelligent debate.

If you are going to be honest, many of these concepts and instructions seem harsh. Perhaps the rest of Paul’s instructions will relieve that tension.

1 Timothy 5:21 NLT I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.

So all this is to be done without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone. No one gets an advantage, and NO ONE should be abused simply because they disagree. On that note, Paul, with no other written word but the Law and the Prophets. Consider that the Holy Spirit taught him mercy and grace from those books, books that many learned to hate (I have since unlearned that hatred.) God, in the Law, did not show favorites. He was kind and showed mercy to those who followed after the Law. Alright, many have stated bickering already, as they only see God killing so many those who followed Moses out of Egypt. The problem is that “God’s people” brought Egypt along with them, which included offering their children to a made-up god called Moloch. Notice that the slaughtering of innocent babies is detestable to God, and He promised to make those who do such things pay.

Simply stated,

“You must not murder.” Deuteronomy 5:17 NLT

The more direct approach.

Deuteronomy 18:10a NASB “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire,”

What was God talking about?

Roasting your children as sacrifices, specifically to Moloch.

How do we do it today?

We murder babies and call it women’s reproductive health.

1 Timothy 5:22 GW Don’t be in a hurry to place your hands on anyone to ordain him. Don’t participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself morally pure.

Keep in mind the story I told you of the pastor who had the moral failure. Although he went through rehab for two years under the watchful eye of a proven older pastor named Tommy Barnett, how do you know the pastor with the moral failure is right in his head? I don’t know a man that does not struggle with sexual sin in some way. If they tell you they don’t, they are lying. It is that simple. The problem is that we who have been in religion for any length of time develop an attitude that says crush them and don’t waste your time trying to get them healed up; that tends to make us want to cover up our sins with lies and deception. However, like an alcoholic, or a smoker, the drive to do those sinful things rarely leaves (By the way, gluttony is a sin, so we all need to calm down.)

Going through recovery helps, mostly because it gives you tools to fend off such problems – one of those tools is a sponsor. Sponsors come in all shapes and sizes – I am trying to make a point here, as some, from what I have been told, are harsh and demanding, while others will not press you to make right decisions.

—— End of page 3 —–

I am a huge man, and I often see myself as a Grizzly bear which no one wants to get near. Appearances can be deceiving, as I have lived my life as a scared human being that tries to keep unsafe people at a distance; therefore, no one would ask me to sponsor them for a couple of years.

When a young man finally did ask me to sponsor him, I told him, you know what I am like; to that, he responded, “you are exactly what I need.” I met with him weekly for several years and watched him grow in spiritual strength. Yes, he had a lot of emotional damage, but he began to learn to give it over to the Lord and set it aside.

The truth is we are all like this young man in some ways, trying to hide behind from damage that afflicts us. Is it possible then that our sins (weaknesses) could erupt to the surface?

Well certainly, and it is just a matter of patiently watching people to see if the Life in Christ is feeding the tree (we are each a tree that needs some pruning, feeding, and care.) An appropriately cared for grove of apple trees will produce good fruit, consistently, for years – well into your old age. To the point that those who know you will say you have always been stable and full of wisdom, even though the truth is, you have had your slip-ups. This is precisely what the grace and mercy of God do for us.

Now, just because you came to know the Lord doesn’t mean that junk goes away. Sin, unfortunately, is like some genetic damage, and we all have it. It motivates all of us. This inability to free ourselves of sin is why Jesus gave Himself for us, poured out His blood for us, and now sits on the right hand of the Father, continually making intercession for us. Dear Lord, we need it. He brought forgiveness before you ever accepted it, but you did, and now you eternally belong in His loving arms – no matter what the enemy does to you. Once you ask Him, He never lets you go, even if you think He did.

1 Timothy 5:24-25 GW The sins of some people are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment. The sins of others follow them there. (25) In the same way, the good things that people do are obvious, and those that aren’t obvious can’t remain hidden.

“The sins of some people are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment.” What a peculiar statement. You might think that if these people were destined for hell, their sins would precede them, which opens the door to the idea that God will destroy all evil.

If the above statement were a question, then the answer would be yes, but when will that happen?

At some point during the last battle of Revelation.

Watch this process starting in Revelation 20.

Revelation 20:3 MSG (God has dumped Satan) dumped him into the Abyss, slammed it shut, and sealed it tight. No more trouble out of him, deceiving the nations—until the thousand years are up. After that, he has to be let loose briefly.

So Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet are locked up and unable to influence people for a thousand years. You might think that there will be no sin at all during this time, but there is, and here is the proof.

Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
(Revelation 22:14-15 NASB)

Notice that this happens during the thousand-year reign of Christ. Does this mean that these people will be bullying and killing just like before? No, because this is the time of peace. Judges and this includes Jesus, will sit upon thrones judging cases and dispatching rapid justice. It is, finally, a time of peace that will reign from the beginning and throughout eternity. Isaiah 9 speaks of this.

—— End of page 4 —–

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:7 NASB)

All those fools and there will be myriads of them because people have been reproducing for a thousand years, not having turned their hearts to Jesus, will be deceived by Satan, just as before.

Revelation 20:7-9 NLT When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.

The passage above mentions those “magic” words, Gog, and Magog. Since Ezekiel 38 and 39 also speak of Gog and Magog, and the destruction or death of Gog on the hillsides of Israel, is Revelation 22 merely depicting what Ezekiel talks about?

The answer is NO, as Ezekiel, for all practical purposes, describes what appears to be a nuclear war. The reason for this thinking comes from Israel NOT touching the bodies but merely placing a marker to indicate one fallen in battle. Those who tend to the bodies do not touch them until six months is passed. I am not sure that makes sense, but then I am not a nuclear waste removal expert. There is one other thing about what Ezekiel describes; the citizens of Israel use the weapons to heat their homes for seven years. This arouses many questions, but no one has been able to answer these questions for me adequately.

This attempt at a battle against God, His city, and His people are resolved hastily once it starts.

And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:9-10 NASB)

Let’s finish off chapter five.

1 Timothy 5:25 NLT In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

If your bad deed can follow you, much like a reputation, then so can your good deeds. It seems that no one cares about the good things you did anymore. God does, and He will bring them to light – not for people to pat you on the back, but then that might happen during the millennial reign. There, we are to be rewarded, not punished as some would tell you; and there would be an appropriate place to make sure those deeds you did in private will come to light as a beacon of mercy and grace.

—— End of page 5 —–

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So, we have had our elections, but anxiety could easily overtake us.

Posted on 11/07/2020 by remso

So, we’ve had our elections, and as of Wednesday morning 11/4/2020, we are deeply entrenched in the voting scandals we expected. I have been seeing the 96-mile long vehicle rallies for Trump, the crowds of people who attend the political rallies for Trump, and, I have seen the rallies for Biden/Harris and there is hardly anyone there. Come Tuesday night, about 9:30 P.M. I had to turn off the reports as the anxiety could have easily overwhelmed me. I literally heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “Turn it off and relax; I have got this under control.” Ah, therein the problem lies because what we perceive as being under control is defined by how my head wants this situation to play itself out.

Now, this election may still play itself out according to my hopes, and an example came from my Pastor, Jack Hibbs, as I listened this Thursday afternoon 11/5/2020, to Pastor Jack’s Wednesday night service, where he spoke about God being in control and the real anxiety that many of us feel. Pastor Jack asked the audience to take out their phones and look up “138,000 votes.” Yes, that’s right, 138,000 votes got turned to Pennsylvania’s election headquarters at 7:30 on Wednesday morning, and every one of those votes was for Joe Biden. That, for Biden, became the game-changer, as far as Pennsylvania was concerned. Immediately, the head that understands a common-sense world should have thought, that is impossible. And still, the fight goes on.

Now, just because you have faith, pour your little heart out to God, and listen to level headed speakers that deliver a clear message giving you educated reasons to NOT vote for a particular candidate, does not mean your man will get elected.

If that is the case what are we going to do?

One of the phrases that we hear in religious circles is to occupy. The terminology often has much to do with the reasons why we don’t need to know the exact day of the Lord’s return, and that is because most of us are lazy and we will do 101 things other than stay focused and ready for the Lord’s return, most of which are in opposition to God,

The word occupy shows up in Luke 19:12-13 KJV

“He said, therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. (13) And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”

If you read this from the NASB, it reads like this.

Luke 19:13b NASB “…, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’

Note the italicized words. Those were added to gain clarity. In reality, much like the KJV, we are to do business until he comes; no matter when that happens. To put this into common language, keep doing what you know to do until He comes back.

How many of you have been paying attention, not only to Bill Gates, but to Dr. Fauci, and other representatives of the World Economic Forum. This COVID 19 virus was their creation, with the specific purpose of bringing in a Global reset, a reduction in population, a global monetary system, and your subservience. Yes, this is all true, and if you are still reluctant to believe such things look at the Draconian measures New Zealand is already ascribing to. Canada and the United Kingdom, are right behind New Zealand. The mask you wear has no effectiveness against a 3 micron Covid molecule, and therefore must have some other purpose; and it does, as it is meant to control and bring the populace under submission. Can you do anything without your mask on?

Since I still have a church I can attend, I will continue to do so; and I will do until “they” lock and chain the doors, at which point every person I come in contact with becomes my church, my mission field, and my reason for living.

All that stuff about the World Economic Forum only works if people of power act in unison; and this is exactly what former Vice President, now Presidential candidate is doing when he states, “on day one of my Presidency, there will be a mandatory national mask mandate.” He is telling you, you will comply. All the subtle talk about Socialism is very much the purpose of the New World Order.

You can be like my stepdaughter and tell me, I don’t believe that will happen, she is saying this in response to my telling her that Canada will incarcerate if you do not comply with the rapidly coming COVID 19 vaccination program. Much like New Zealand, refusal will make you a lawbreaker within your own home as by your refusal to be vaccinated you are endangering your household, and you will be incarcerated until you comply. To people like my stepdaughter, that refuse to contemplate such things happening, I say, you just go on living in your pastel-colored world, regardless of the fact that in many cities the streets are turning from pastel to blood red at the hands of fascist rioters; and soon, at the hand of Muslim enforcers of Sharia law, as they take over cities and make them no go zones, much like has happened in England. The reality is that this level of horror is happening as we speak and will only amplify. BLM Inc. and Antifa, have a dedicated purpose and goal to burn down our cities.

Did you know that a well-known prophecy in the Quran, is that the Mahdi (Christianities Antichrist,) will only come in the midst of chaos?

Joe Biden has recently been quoting from the Quran and is an advocate of Sharia law in our streets.

So, now, let me ask you, how much civilized time do you think we have left on the streets of America?

If you can even come close to answering that question, it is because you have a logical mind, can see the handwriting on the wall, and have inspiration from the Holy Spirit. Perhaps, if you cannot say, that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, then maybe you should move quickly to fix that. He, Jesus, moves very quickly into the lives of those who call upon His name.

Jesus is coming soon.

How do I know that?

  1. My mind takes a logical path as I look through scripture and look at what is happening in the world.

    One does not have to be prophetic to see and understand these things, but the Bible tells us it is a great mystery and that the god of this world has blinded the eyes of most of you so that you cannot see it. Many of you think that the Presidential re-election of Donald Trump is a joke. Let me tell who the joker is. He is Satan – and he does not deserve to be referred to in the upper case; and, he is the great deceiver. Want proof.

     

    Revelation 12:9 NASB And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

    There are others with him. How many angels came to earth with him? If you could take an uncountable number, and then take a third of that number, that is how many angels bought into his mutiny and fell with him. In other words, there are enough to have one assigned to each of us. Don’t let that bother you too much, as there are twice as many that are assigned as our personal bodyguards by the Father.

  2. If you noticed, at the very beginning of this post, I said, “I heard the Holy Spirit say.”

    This voice is the activity of the comforter, which Jesus said He would send when He left the earth and returned to the Father; but it is also an aspect of the prophetic.

    Anyone, if they choose to listen to God’s voice, can and will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.

    In trying to explain this process I tell people that it often seems like one of the many voices I have in my head. Don’t look at me like I am crazy, we all have voices in our heads, some sound like an abusive, or manipulative person in your life, while at other times it sounds like the wisdom of my wife.

    When the Holy Spirit speaks, I, more often than not, have no problem distinguishing whose voice it is, as He never leads me to anything but the truth. Truth, by the way, comes from the established Word of God.

    So, immediately, upon beginning to write these words, knew that many, even those who align themselves with some religion, would say, your words are false and made up, as no one needs to speak as a prophet any more because we have the Word of God. That is all well and good I suppose, but the fact that you can say something that narrow-minded demonstrates that you don’t read, or know, the Word of God, nor does Jesus dwell within you.

With all that said, I need to tell you a story.

Mom has been gone almost two years now. We had already seen the symptoms of pancreatic cancer, but we did not know it, nor did mom. A part of the problem with the detection of serious issues comes from the hard hardheadedness of the patient as many don’t want to admit they are in distress and therefore do not get early or appropriate help from the Doctor. The other problem comes from the medical facilities that don’t see the necessity to spend the money necessary to ascertain what the problem is; therefore, things like pancreatic cancer go undetected until they are at stage four and beyond practical treatment.

2018 was a mess. Dad had been dealing with diabetic neuropathy for several years, and he was sure that a nerve pinch was a cause of all his problems; that was not the case and the doctors found a cancerous brain tumor about the size of a tamale and had to remove it. We did not know if he would be able to walk again, and we had to have the bathroom remodeled in case dad would be wheelchair-bound – that process took several months, and caused a tremendous amount of emotional strain. Dad had also been having emotional meltdowns, telling us that he was going to die in surgery; these meltdowns continued even after, in recovery in a sister’s home as they waited for the remodel to get done. He struggled with his new, but temporary disabilities and refused to use the wheelchair. Now, here is where the Holy Spirit begins to kick in hard. On multiple occasions, I had told Dad, and other family members, that he will be fine.

In the meantime, mom is dying, although we have no definitive information about that diagnosis. In early January of 2019, Dad demanded that he be put back in his house. Shortly thereafter, mom begins having issues with what she simply calls, old lady problems. Dad refuses to have the Doctor do a biopsy, and so the Doctor doing the best he could, told mom and dad, that in all likelihood she has pancreatic cancer. I have never seen anyone come back from pancreatic cancer. Several of us spent some time in the faith movement – many aspects are good, such as reading God’s Word, but the negative side of this movement shows it’s ugly head when you try to bully your way through God and people. Some of my family members still lean in this direction. I told the other family members that mom would be gone within six months. Nobody wanted to hear that, and thus began the barrage of angry faith statements, like she will live forever.

How did I know that mom would die?

I heard a voice; I trust in God, and I lean heavily upon the Holy Spirit to guide me. If it were not for the Holy Spirit, I would be floundering, especially in the current situations.

Dad insisted that mom continue doing their somewhat normal routine, and they would go to church on Sunday nights, and almost every night they would go meet some friends at a local restaurant. Remember what that is like? My wife and I would join them on occasions, and I often saw my mother shed a tear because of the pain she was in. In early February, I heard the Holy Spirit tell me, “you need to go say goodbye to your mother.” It was clear and did not seem like a suggestion, and so my wife and I went. Saying goodbye, and telling her, if you want to go home to be with Jesus, it’s okay. You have done your job well and we are all going to be okay. All of us know the Lord.

I left that night and immediately sent a message to my brother who lives the farthest away, up the hill. I told him, the Holy Spirit just told me that mom would be dead before the week is out and that he needed to get down here right away. He showed up the next day and had communion with mom, and also said his goodbyes. That brother told me a short time later, that they all laughed me to scorn, but yet he came. I said my goodbyes on Monday and mom took her last breath here on earth Sunday morning. She, because she knew that dad would want to go to church, was up and dressed that Sunday morning. Dad, not believing that she was even out of bed, called to her to check on her status. She answered him and moments later let out a scream of pain. She immediately went back to bed, ready for church, and was dead just a few hours later, dancing in the arms of Jesus.

Several months went by when dad says to me, your brother told me that you knew when mom would die. I simply replied, yes. He responded to that by saying, has God told you anything about me? God had, but I did not want to tell him as dad was in an emotionally fragile state.

So, am I a prophet? I used to think it would be very cool to have a superhero type of role, perhaps then I would get respect – something I have never felt. My imagery of prophets came from guys like Samuel and Elijah. Samuel hacked up King Agag, and Elijah called fire down from heaven. Pretty cool, huh? But acting out like Samuel will get you thrown into prison, and Jesus told his disciples that calling fire down from heaven, was not their mission; so I guess that’s out.

But here is the scriptural reality, when I was about 23, I committed my life once again to Jesus Christ. I had a dream/vision one night. It was so real that I still have difficulty explaining to people that it was a dream. In that dream, Jesus stood at the end of my bed and laid out my life before me. I thought I should write this down, but I did not because it was so vivid and I thought I would never forget what had been said to me. Well, guess what, by morning I forgot every word. I do remember that He had been there and told me my entire life. I remember being filled with joy. Now, the truth is, I have lived most of my life, AND, it has NOT all been good. To the best of my understanding, there is something more to come and it should be fantastic.

So, after that dream life went on. Within a couple of years, I got married to a girl I met in church – they told me, go to church and get a good woman. Ha, she cheated on me twice. Do you get the general idea that life went south on me real quick? A few years passed and I got married again. This time I destroyed the relationship, and finally, I have been involved in this current relationship for over twenty years and we have been married for the last four of those years. No, life has been rough, and my dream of being a bible teacher has only been fulfilled by putting my life up on the internet for you to see.

One day, I was reading how Moses’ brother and sister, attempted a mutiny. They said, what makes you think God speaks to you alone. You can find this story in the book of Numbers chapter 12. God defined a prophet during this process with this verse.

Numbers 12:6 NASB He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream.

After reading this passage, I asked the Lord, does that mean I too am a prophet? To which he said yes. To be honest, I have never figured out what that means as I think most of these so-called prophets are frauds, just trying to make a dollar. God has spoken to me, and one of the things He keeps telling me is that He is coming back soon, but then, He is saying that too many people. Maybe He means it.

 

Posted in Apostasy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, concealed, COVID 19, End times, fallen angels, Hearing God, In Christ, Islam, mystery, New World Order, one world religion, Prophetic, rapture, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Give these instructions to the church. 1 Ti 5:7 through 16.

Posted on 11/03/2020 by remso

When we finished 1 Timothy 5:6 we were given these instructions. Ignore the fact that it seems to speak only to widows because it does not.

But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives. NLT

Anyone, who is living purely for their own pleasure is spiritually dead.

Notice what Paul says in his letter to the church in Rome.

“The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body, God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death.

But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.

(And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.

And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

(Romans 8:3-11 NLT)

Paul tells Timothy

Give orders to this effect, so that no evil may be said of anyone. 1 Timothy 5:7 BBE

Again, why would Paul have to say, the person “who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while they live”?

Verse 7, as you can see above, tells us that Paul does not want anyone to be able to speak evil of us. In the current environment in which we live, the liberals seem to have the leisure to make things up, but not necessarily. An example of this very thing came to me recently, from Pastor JD Farag. In his message entitled, “Godless Chatter – 1 Timothy 6:20-21 – November 1st, 2020.” Pastor JD spoke about the things we have shared on social media, and he spoke specifically about Presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, and how Christ died for them as well. Apparently, he has read some of our posts, and it caused him to cry, as he believes that many of us would have a difficult time leading anyone to Jesus based on how we have excoriated the Biden’s.

I am aware of the repercussions of slanderous statements but sharing well-known evidence against persons who are actively pursuing illegal actions; and, even worse, live in unflinching denial of those facts, seems reasonable to me.

Does what I say mean that the father and son team should not be exposed?

Not if they are going to continue to boldly lie about their actions while calling the current President an evil man. If the Biden’s repented of their actions and turned their lives over to Jesus Christ, I believe I could say, they are Christians; none of that, however, makes them safe. My goodness, we have to give the tree time to produce good fruit. Does that make sense to you?

Paul continues this focus on the widows until we reach verse 16.

1 Timothy 5:8 NLT But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.

Television shows are frequently based on reality, and so the reality is that families have ignored caring for their relatives. If you have ever seen the movie, Christmas Vacation, with Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid, you might understand why you might want to deny care for some of your relatives. The NLT does not make it clear, as it appears that these relatives have denied the true faith; but that is not the case, as translations, such as the CEV, point out that it is us who have given up the faith, and are worse than someone who doesn’t have faith in the Lord.

1 Timothy 5:9-10 CEV For a widow to be put on the list of widows, she must be at least sixty years old, and she must have been faithful in marriage. (10) She must also be well-known for doing all sorts of good things, such as raising children, giving food to strangers, welcoming God’s people into her home, helping people in need, and always making herself useful.

Why are there stipulations, such as being at least sixty years old; faithful in marriage; having raised her children well, and faithful in taking care of strangers?

Because it shows faithfulness and a Godly attitude. Children raised by someone like this, would, because of their teaching, take care of their mother. Why even strangers, because of her faithfulness, would then take care of this dear lady, as well. The bottom line, this was the closest thing there was to social security.

1 Timothy 5:11-15 CEV Don’t put young widows on the list. They may later have a strong desire to get married. Then they will turn away from Christ (12) and become guilty of breaking their promise to him. (13) Besides, they will become lazy and get into the habit of going from house to house. Next, they will start gossiping and become busybodies, talking about things that are none of their business. (14) I would prefer that young widows get married, have children, and look after their families. Then the enemy won’t have any reason to say insulting things about us. (15) Look what’s already happened to some of the young widows! They have turned away to follow Satan.

To say, just because they get married, they will turn away from Christ, can apply to most of us men as well.

Does marriage make you lazy?

No, the laziness has to already be there; either that or one or the other has massive co-dependency issues.

Choosing to be a busybody and gossip, is a choice to get involved in things that are NONE of your business. See, these younger ladies can get remarried, have children, and be supported, in time, by family. Paul’s underlying motivation is that the enemy has no accusation against you because it can turn some away to follow Satan.

1 Timothy 5:16 NLT If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone.

Another example of this last verse came from the historian, William J. Federer, who spoke on “Socialism: The Real History, From Plato to the Present.” In his recent talk at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, he spoke about how that families and the church were the social systems of the day. Sadly, we turned that authority over to the government, which destroyed it and our freedom.

Posted in 1 Timothy, Apostle Paul, bible study, children, enemies, fall into, forgive, Freedom from sin, grace, hypocrisy, lust, Peace, sharing the truth in love, straying from the truth, temptations, tests, the will of God, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A quick overview about the rapture and things to come.

Posted on 11/01/2020 by remso

I felt like I needed to give you a quick overview and not bore you. So let’s jump in.

I, and many others like me, will be gone soon. This event I speak of is called the rapture of the church. And, it is the time when Jesus comes to collect those who are His, back to Himself. The rapture is not a secret, but it will seem like it, as many calling themselves Christians, are NOT looking for Jesus to come.

Obvious signs that the rapture has happened will be things like graves ripping open, as the dead in Christ are pulled from their burial places; massive numbers of people will plainly be missing, and in many cases leaving moving vehicles to crash. And the strangest aspect of all will be the disappearance of children. I will say that there is very little in scriptures to substantiate this as it is a Jewish tradition associated with the age of accountability.

The idea behind accountability is that the child, at the age of 12 or 13, is now held responsible for their “adult” actions. It is a good and sound tradition, and since Jesus was a Jew, and was held to such practice, then I see no reason for God not to keep to it now; besides that, there are the millions of innocent babies that have been slaughtered to the gods of abortion.

All of this activity will be associated with the long-drawn-out sound of a shofar blast. If you have not heard what that sounds like, you should, as it is quite unique. Yes, I am aware that the government will tell you that they have been creating these sounds through the Haarp Antennae Arrays for some time now. The government will also point to things like Blue Beam projections, UFOs, and alien interventions, all things that the government has been progressively showing you. These things are part of the great deception that Paul speaks of in his letters to the church in Thessalonica.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:7 NASB)

If the church is gone and you are still here, what happens next?

Contrary to my father’s opinion, you are not completely lost. You can still come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. Sadly though, we live in what is called dispensations of time; that means that the age of grace is gone. As I write this, the church is living in that grace. Since the grace is gone with the church’s catching away, you will now have to prove your allegiance to Jesus Christ, most likely at the edge of a sword or a guillotine. We will get back to that in a moment.

The Apostle Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, wrote,

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a departing (Geneva Bible) first, and then the man of sin will be disclosed. He is the son of perdition.”

Most of you never read your bible, but if you did, you read from a version similar to what I read from; therefore, you read 2 Thessalonians 2:3 as a falling away. If you noticed above, I used the term departing. I did that because, since the COVID 19 lockdowns, we learned that the Geneva bible, one of the first English versions, translated the term apostasia correctly when defining it as a departing. Because of the significant defection from the Catholic church to Protestantism, the Catholic Church ordered a new translation to reflect their disgust and anger, and the term was changed to a falling away or apostasy. This term apostasy probably makes sense to many of you as you have watched those that hold to a moral standard melt into the distance. So, it was not a falling away we were looking for; it was the church being gathered back to Jesus.

As I pointed out, with the church being gone, the person we call the Antichrist should be rising onto the scene rather quickly. One of the prime reasons you will know him is that he will be calling for peace.

If you have been paying attention, many Islamic nations have been aligning themselves with Israel by signing peace treaties. I never thought we would see that happen, and yes, God used the American President to make it happen.

If you know anything about the Muslims, then you know that NO ONE in the Middle East signs on to peace treaties with Israel unless there is an ulterior motive; that means that something drastic will happen.

If you are reading this, and the church is still here, then know that ten nations will attack Israel from every side soon. This is where Ezekiel 38, 39 comes into play, because as these nations attack, (There is every reason to believe that Russia, Turkey, and Iran will be significant players.) God will send a firestorm down upon these nations, and the one called Gog will die on the hills of Israel. For me, this will be a rather unmistakable reason for someone to scream out, peace.

If you think it is terrible now with the rioting, it will get worse. Matthew 24:7-12.

  • For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,
  • And in various places, there will be famines and earthquakes.
  • But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
  • Then they will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you.
  • You will be hated by all nations because of My name.
  • At that time, many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
  • Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
  • “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.

Seeing as you will be experiencing the wrath of humanity and God, it seems odd to say that something good will be coming out of this mess.

God will send two witnesses, and these will proclaim God’s message in the streets of Jerusalem.

I would say to you that if you wanted an example of how to act, it would be these two. Unfortunately, they will only do this for 1240 days, at which point they will be killed. However, they will rise again after three days and go up to God.

The Prophet Joel spoke about these days, and you can read about it in the second chapter of his book by the same name. The exciting aspect is that God is talking about you if you trust Him and act like the two witnesses.

And lastly, it may encourage you to know that the number of people who will come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ, and give their lives to prove it, will be an uncountable number. How do I know these things? This is where Matthew 24:15-22, comes into play. Jesus, in response to His Jewish disciples, said,

“When you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.”

All this happens right after the two witnesses return to heaven.

I am sorry that you must endure the pains that are to come, but then, you chose to pass up the opportunity for grace. Know this; the Father will be awaiting you with arms wide open.

Posted in antichrist, Antichrist, Apocalypse, apostasia, apostasy, Apostle Paul, bible study, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, COVID 19, departure, End times, false prophet, Geneva Bible, lawlessness, Protestantism, Revelation, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rebuke not an Elder. 1 Timothy 5:1

Posted on 10/26/2020 by remso

Let’s start off this study into chapter five of 1 Timothy with a version I try to stay away from, the KJV.

1 Timothy 5:1 KJV Rebuke not an elder but entreat him as a father, and the younger men as brethren;

The KJV version has an air of respect as it speaks of an elder. The presumed idea is that older citizens should be thought of as elders. We would assume that this means someone with wisdom and qualifications coming from a life lived by a moral standard.

While this seems like a valid concept, we need to do our homework and look up words and their meanings.

Elder is the Greek word presbuteros. The meanings range from someone who is older, a title of dignity, and one of the classes of members to which the chief priest and the scribes and the elders belonged.

With the Christian church coming on the scene the word elder was applied to those “who were committed the direction and government of individual churches.”

I have to read 1 Timothy 5:1 in light of the entirety of Paul’s letter to Timothy. It was written to instruct a young man on how to be a good pastor and church leader. So, my perception of an elder, in regards to this letter, is to see this person as someone within this body of believers, who is, in all likelihood, carrying the responsibility of being a church elder.

Now let’s look at another translation, one I use frequently.

1 Timothy 5:1 NASB Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers,

The NASB changed the terminology to simply read, an older man. While it would be appropriate to treat older people with respect, the change in language removes the idea that this person is an elder within the church. This, in my mind, ignores the context and ignores the Greek word presbuteros which speaks of a leadership position. Most of the translations refer to older men, almost as if they are excluding presbuteros and the context of church leadership.

Let’s consider a couple more words: appeal and entreat.

Both of these examples is the Greek word parakaleō which Strong’s tells me, means to call near, that is, invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation): – beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), intreat, pray.

I have never heard the word hortation intentionally used before. Because it is unfamiliar to me I looked it up in Webster’s dictionary. It means the act of exhorting or giving advice.

Thayer’s definitions of the word entreat, simply say, to call to one’s side.

What I do with this information?

First, let’s address this from the standpoint of a person having to be rebuked, whether they are an elder or merely an older person.

What have they done to deserve such a sharp rebuke?

As we see from 2 Timothy that the potential for being in opposition, to the teachings Paul left for Timothy to preach, is one answer. In the church, we call those teachings church doctrine. These doctrines are the foundation on which we build.

And in this way, I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, (Romans 15:20 NET.)

Build, Do you mean that we can make it higher, cover it in gold, and promote the worship of the temple over God?

No, for the only thing being built is the body of Christ, based upon Jesus’ work on the cross; and, even then the building only takes place as people are drawn to the Word the God, the life we are living – in love, and they themselves become established in the hope we have.

If someone is holding another viewpoint about these doctrines (although I am not sure that is theologically possible,) is it necessary to go nuclear on them?

“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26 NASB)

The definition of entreat, as we saw above, indicates that we are to call this person to our side. I think the obvious fact is that, in the process of trying to correct or straighten this person out, it is done with a heart of love. Now, the complete stranger; that person who will NOT listen to you, you might have to handle differently. I have frequently said, especially when dealing with the grandchildren, why can’t they simply respond when I calmly said stop, but since you have refused to comply we have now come to harsh actions.

My most recent experience came when a brother-in-Christ attempted to give an emotionally charged word to the church body I was attending. This speech was a failure from the moment that he had to announce to the crowd that he was worthy of listening to; everything he must have pictured in his mind floated away in anger and frustration, and he was asked to return to his seat, primarily because his word was inappropriate. Since the brother refused to listen and comply he ended up being escorted out of the church that day. He has never come back.

Paul, in 1 Timothy instructs the young pastor in these things in order to prevent the teaching of strange doctrines.

As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, (1 Timothy 1:3 NASB)

The word strange is the same as the Greek word used for doctrines. Thayer’s Greek Definitions tells us that it can be seen as: to teach other doctrines; different doctrine; or, simply deviating from the established doctrine.

What do we have that confirms this?

Galatians 1:6-8 NASB

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!”

“To be accursed!” sounds rather serious, and is quite probably the impetus behind Paul’s having to speak to Timothy about correcting a church leader.

If the church leader in question is a younger man, do you think Timothy has more freedom to speak aggressively?

I am not sure this is the answer, as it leans toward aggression.

“As we have said before, so I say again now if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:9 NASB)

Accursed is the Greek anathema and according to the Word Study Dictionary means given up, or devoted to destruction for God’s sake; given up to the curse and destruction.

In 1 Corinthians 5, though Paul does not mention the man’s name, clearly the man has committed egregious sins, which are spelled out in the Torah. I think it is obvious that multiple attempts to confront and curtail this man’s activities have failed; and that is where Paul comes into the story, as he has decided it is time to turn this man over to Satan so that his flesh may be destroyed but not his spirit.

“I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 5:5 NASB)

You would think that turning someone over to Satan would be the absolute end of them. If that were the case, then one could argue that judgment was put into our hands. I happen to think handing judgment off to us would be a foolish decision, as we, regardless of the cross, are still broken people and will be so until Christ collects us back to Himself, changed.

“all judgment has been given to the Son” (John 5:22b).

There is no doubt that the man’s flesh dies in this story, but there is also no doubt that the man has the opportunity to be saved in the day of the Lord. I use the term opportunity because Paul suggests that he may be saved. That word may is rather open-ended and can be taken two ways; one is said with affirmation, but we don’t exactly get that sense here. The other is an opportunity extended, and whether it is accepted or not is not known to us.

Consider these verses.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:20-23 NASB)

“If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make a request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. We know that no one who is born of God sins, but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.” (1 John 5:16-18 NASB)

“My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
(James 5:19-20 NASB)

One of the struggles I have with this subject of dealing with an elder is how entrenched they can be within the church, often to the degree that others will quickly come in agreement and side with this person to protect them. I watched it happen repeatedly on Monday mornings.

Previously, I told you that I had left just such a Bible Study. I left because I rarely learned anything while there (It was definitely more a relational gathering of men,) for as the speaker would begin, my heart would scream out, that is wrong and I would begin to search out scriptures that refuted the speakers topic, or his interpretation of what he was preaching that day. I think that addressing leaders like this is either a bravery issue, or it’s a skillset; and I feel like I have neither.

I appreciate what Paul told Timothy to do when he said,

“Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. (14) Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. (15) Give your complete attention to these matters(NLT,) so that your progress will be evident to all. (16) Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” 1 Timothy 4:13-16 NASB

To simplify this I will turn it into bullet points.

  • Give attention to the public reading of Scripture.
  • Give attention: to exhortation and teaching.
  • Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you.

So Paul is telling Timothy, no matter what, keep this information I have given you, alive.

Now if we are talking about an elder in the church, or we are talking about an older man, that has spent his life in the Word of God, you are NOT to crush the man’s spirit as you address some error he may be spreading. (That is easier said than done.)

As we see from 2 Timothy, the potential for being in opposition, to the teachings Paul left for Timothy to preach, is one answer. Secondly, in the church, we call those teachings church doctrine. These doctrines are the foundation on which we build.

“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26 NASB)

See, I have to look at this from a context point of view. In chapter four of this letter to Timothy, Paul addresses how some will leave the faith, but return with false teaching. These teachings might sound right, but they are not. Having spent some time in the faith movement, there was a push to get God to bring you monetary and physical gain. God is not interested in your gains, He is interested in your heart. So, is it possible that this was demonic teaching that crept in? Possibly.

We are not quite done.

Do not address an older man harshly but appeal to him as a father. Speak to younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters — with complete purity. (1 Timothy 5:1-2 NET.)

Notice how this version says, appeal to him as a father. Hopefully, you had a great father-son relationship and can understand this. Additionally, it does speak to the pastor addressing younger men as brothers and, older women as mothers, whom you would probably, like mine, never cuss in front of. And lastly, even though the context of the message is to straighten out twisted and false teachings, your approach with younger women is with the same respect you would give a sister. Not necessarily a sibling, for many would confess that they don’t treat their siblings well. Paul, in this translation, says your relationship is to be with complete purity.

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