Friday, May 30, 2008

Leviticus, The Third Book of Moses, Chapter One

This is a Greek word meaning, as I understand it, “relating to the Levities”. I will be looking at things in a slightly different way this time.
Chapter One
1 ¶ And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
“And the LORD called unto Moses”;
Genesis 22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Genesis 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
In both of these, the appearance of the LORD, his visible image, who is Christ, spoke to Abraham out of heaven.
(2Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;)
Exodus 19:3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
Here, God has come down to the mountain and here, Christ is calling to Moses directly and while physically present, not through His angel. In the first verse of Leviticus, however, God is actually in the tabernacle of the congregation. It is not His appearance or angel.
The phrase “tabernacle of the congregation” as such is used in 127 verses in the Bible. This tabernacle was explained in great detail and repeatedly in Exodus. This was a very important place where the priests met with God, relaying His commands to the people.
As Christians, we are a royal priesthood;
1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
And our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit;
1Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
We have the Spirit of Christ residing in us;
Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
You also have God’s word, as in words, in you if you are His;
1John 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
So, you don’t need to go anywhere in particular to meet with God, not a temple or a “church” building or a step to a platform on which the pulpit sits, if you have God’s Spirit dwelling in you. There are many more verses that talk of Jesus and the Father dwelling with you.
How can you experience the blessing having the word of God dwelling in you if the reading of it, the study of it, and the memorizing of it are not in your daily life as preeminent? Why should it lie dormant as a seed waiting to be germinated in your heart because of your hardheartedness and stubborn rebellion against God, oh you who call yourself by His name?
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
Once again we have voluntary offerings being brought here.
Exodus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
3 ¶ If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
Don’t give God your worst, but give Him your best. If you have a donation to make to a church, don’t give something that is broken or about to be thrown out. Give something good. This is a lasting principle. I know of many people who give castoff items to charity and feel very good about themselves. While a person living without will appreciate your old clothing, don’t mistakenly assume you have done some righteous act before God. You have simply given your trash. Big deal. Give of your best.
4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
8 And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Notice other sacrifices we are called to;
Psalm 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
And notice things that have a sweet savour unto the Lord;
Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
10 ¶ And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.
Again, this offering must be “without blemish” to be accepted. This principle goes further. I was compelled after I began actually believing the King James Bible was THE word of God to stop wearing casual clothing to church. No one ordered me to wear anything in particular but my submission to the word of God made it apparent in my spirit that I wasn’t giving God my best. It only seemed natural to wear my best. Your best may not be a suit and tie but you know what your best is.
11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.
The Lord’s dwelling place is in the northern part of the sky. He comes from the north.
Psalm 75:6 ¶ For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
Psalm 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
Isaiah 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Here, from a literal perspective, it is clear that the “sides of the north” is above the stars of God.
12 And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
Notice another principle. That God has a certain order in which He wants things done.
1Corinthians14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit is not the cause of riotous, raucous, emotional worship services.
13 But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
14 And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
15 And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:
16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
These are voluntary offerings. Why animal sacrifices? Animals of all kinds were created after an exemplar in the spiritual world. Read carefully the first chapter of Genesis again and note the after creating the first animals AFTER their kind, God created man in His image. If you can put the fundamentalist’s fixation on the propagation of the religious theory of evolution out of your head you can read the verses as they stand and not try to twist them to attack something that is nothing more than a vapor, a mass delusion. The first creatures were made after something that already existed, their “kind”, their type, already in existence, by the words as written.
God wanted something more than these sacrifices, however.
Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Mark, chapter Ten

Chapter 10

1 ¶ And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

Jesus Christ is constantly busy. He has no time to lose and yet, He has eternity.

2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

A Pharisee is tormented by questions about sex. They also want to trip you up. A modern day Pharisee is obsessed about how women dress, how they behave toward their husbands, and whether or not a woman can own a business or lead a country. They apparently don’t know about Deborah or Huldah or Lydia or the good wife of Proverbs 31.

3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

The Law was given for dirtbags. It was given for murderers and blasphemers among other unsavory characters.

1 Timothy 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

A saved man today has Christ’s righteousness imputed to Him if he believes, which, of course, if he didn’t believe, he wouldn’t be a saved man. He is not under the Law. The Pharisee’s and Judaizers want to keep putting you back under the Law so the preacher or priest can have control over you. Christ is going to give something that completes the Law and fulfills it.

In the Sermon on the Mount He says “the Law says this….but I say that”. Those who like to quote the Sermon on the Mount tend to be selective readers. What Christ is offering to us in the Church Age and to the Jews in the Tribulation is better than the Law.

6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Marriage is designed to be FOR LIFE. Divorce is not part of God’s will. He allowed it because of the hardness of a man’s heart. Don’t unite your flesh with another person of the opposite sex unless you commit yourself that this is forever. Don’t marry someone who thinks differently.

The Jews taught, I am told, that you could kick your wife to the curb if she didn’t cook like you wanted.

10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

The more complete passage is found in Matthew and I’ve already explained it there in chapter 19. Here it is clear that if you divorce your wife and marry someone else you commit adultery against her. If a woman puts away her husband and marries someone else she commits adultery. Jesus announces in Matthew that only the spouse’s fornication is an acceptable grounds for divorce.

The Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, shows that abandonment is another ground that is acceptable.

1 Corinthians 7:13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

The fundamentalist assertion that if divorced you can never marry another is dismissed in my commentary on Matthew 19. Read it if you are contentious.

13 ¶ And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

We have to receive Christ in the kind of trust and acceptance and expectation that a child receives Him. When I was a child there was a point at which I thought my parents could do no wrong. The disillusionment came one day while they were fighting and swearing at each other, screaming and crying. I realized at that point that they were weak, fallible creatures, motivated by selfishness, even in their child rearing. I was to be a piece of pridework for them. Dressing me right, feeding me well, and eventually sending me to college was proof that they were good. It had nothing to do with love for me. In this I rebelled.

But, up to that realization I trusted them like we are to trust Christ.

17 ¶ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Psalm 38:20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

This must only be God because of this fact.

Psalm 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Psalm 53:3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

Jesus quotes the commandments that have to do with interpersonal relationships. He does not mention the commandments toward God or the one about covetousness.

20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

He took these rules seriously all his life. Paul also took serious these commandments and a bishop must also be blameless, not in that he is sinless but that he purposely tries to obey God.

Philippians 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

1Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

1Timothy 3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

1Timothy 5:7 And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless.

Titus 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

2Peter 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Blameless cannot be sinless.

1John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Now, Jesus doesn’t give him our plan of salvation. He is still working with men under the Law. He doesn’t call this young man a liar, either. He acknowledges the truthfulness of his statement.

21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Now, under the dispensation of works, and during this apostolic time, Christ tells him to sell ALL of his possessions, give to the poor, and to join in with the apostles, following Christ. This is a gospel of works before the resurrection and the New Testament is in force.
The early church also does this. Jesus gives this command;

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

They received the Holy Ghost as stated;
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

But, they hung around in the little commune they had formed back in Acts 2.

Acts 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

So, God permitted them to be disbursed through persecution so that they would follow His express orders stated above.

Acts 8:1 ¶ And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Letters are even written to these Jewish followers of Christ.

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

And are written from the places they have been scattered.

1Peter 5:13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

So, if God has called you to do something and you are clinging to something that holds you back from obedience, God can allow evil things and people to take away your peace so that you will have no reason not to obey Him.

As Lester Roloff is supposed to have said, “It is easy to live on faith when that is all you have left.” It’s a shame if it has to come to that.

22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

What Christians have in America is almost always more important than Christ. Obviously, doctrinally, Jesus isn’t walking around here to be followed as a physical leader so the application is spiritual. Doctrinally, they are still Sabbath observing, temple going, pork abstaining, beard wearing JEWS under the LAW.

Whatever a Christian cherishes more than Christ will keep him from following Christ.

23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

This is so clear that only a scholar could confuse it. The eye of a needle is the eye of a needle. It’s impossible to get through it but with God nothing is impossible. We are NOT talking about a small door that a camel has to crawl through after having its burden to be offloaded. Quit trying to impress people with your brilliance and read what it says. There is no difference between the Fundamentalist or the liberal scholar in this. Both love to add to God’s words to elevate their own intellect.

The application here is that you, if you have riches, will trust in those riches, not God.

1 Timothy 6:6 ¶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

If you have swallowed the baloney about a “needle gate” then notice that “with men it is impossible”. It is not impossible for the proverbial camel to crawl through the proverbial needle gate. It is a miracle for a rich man to get saved.

28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

Peter’s looking for a return on what he has done for Christ.

29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

This is so obviously doctrinally not part of this dispensation it isn’t funny. This is about the physical reign of Christ on the physical earth. We, in the Church Age, are not promised riches, power, wealth, or possessions for following Christ. We are promised suffering.

Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 ¶ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Go back to the 1 Timothy 6 verses I just posted above. There are physical rewards in the millennium for His people. There are few rewards in this age save for that sweet fellowship with your creator that comes with obedience and, perhaps, eventual death for it.

Read the three chapters of Revelation to see what awaits the faithful Christian on this earth. We are not promised earthly wealth and riches and temporal rewards here now. The prosperity gospel put out by so many charismatics is a lie straight from the pit of Hell. Remember, Christ said it is a miracle if a rich man gets saved.

2Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1Corinthians 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

2Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Philippians 3:9 ¶ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

In any event, I believe verse 30 is a classic example of typology. Who believes, in his right mind, that Christ is promising a hundred mothers to a believer?

31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
32 ¶ And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,
33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:

Jesus knew what was going to happen and who was going to do it.

34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Psalm 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

Read the context from which the following verses are drawn.

Genesis 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

Genesis 40:20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. (See Jesus’ and Judas’ fates here)

Genesis 42:18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

2Kings 20:8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?

Hosea 6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.

Here is a classic example of how carnal Christians are today. We want to make an exhibition of ourselves, to receive a reward, to be glorified. We don’t really want to share in Christ’s sufferings or to submit every thought to Christ, but we want to be the big man. When I read or hear a preacher talk about seeking rewards in Heaven I am sickened. We are to seek nothing but to glorify and serve Christ. We are to accept whatever comes, even if nothing, as a result. I will be satisfied enough to be in Heaven for eternity. Narcissism, self interest, and excessive egotism are endemic in Christianity, particularly among Pastors and teachers. Sometimes I think that the greatest stumbling block to a revival of the average Christian’s spirit in the Lord is his own Pastor. So much time and effort is spent on Nicolaitanism, elevating the status of the Pastor above the laity, that one would think that the Pastor of the local church stood as a popeling, the vicarious representative of Christ on the earth. This is no different than Roman Catholicism where the Priest represents Christ and is first in apostasy just above the effort of the modern fundamentalist Pastor and Evangelist trying hard to talk people out of their assurance of salvation in order to chalk up some kind of “decision” for Christ, albeit from a “retread”. A “retread” is someone who tries to “get saved” over and over again because they are doing nothing for the Lord and feel guilty about it just as an “aisle athlete” is someone who runs up front to the “altar” after every service to show just how spiritual they are.

As a Baptist, I believe in the priesthood of all believers. Jesus said that He hates Nicolaitans.

With regard to these verses, examine the sufferings of the Jews throughout history, particularly in Hitler’s holocaust, and of the Christian martyrs who were murdered by other Christians in the most inhumane ways possible. They did indeed drink of the cup that Christ drank of. The Great Tribulation, the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, is coming where past events will be completely overshadowed.

Christ drank the cup of God’s fury for us.

Psalms 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

Revelation 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

You will share in it, perhaps.

Phlippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Be glad you are saved, if you are. If not, then do you duty and believe and trust in Christ.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

The great Pastors suffered much to lead their flocks. Those egotistical saps who become preachers out of a desire for self glory and self righteousness are just so much chaff. The true leader in a church is a servant first. Just as everyone who graduates from college wants to be offered the presidency of a company without working their way up through the ranks, many who join a church figure they are deserving of some post within the church that makes them look good and seem spiritual.

A minister is not to be a Lord over the flock. He is to serve the flock.

1 Peter 5:1 ¶ The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

If any man be contentious about the meaning of an elder referring not to a preacher or pastor then notice that in the first verses of the second and third letter of John, he refers to himself as the elder. See above that Peter calls himself an elder. Any of the senior men of the church are elders, including the Pastor and Deacons.

Be an example, be a servant, but don’t try to be a king over the flock. That is Nicolaitanism.

As for the ransom paid, the “fathers” of modern Bible versions, Westcott and Hort, believed that the ransom was paid to Satan, which is blasphemy. These reprobates apparently could not read.

Exodus 30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.

Jesus’ life is the only ransom sufficient for our sins, for those who have received Him.

46 ¶ And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

Here is a picture of the sinner getting saved. This is Jesus’ last time in Jericho. This is Bartimaeus’ last chance. Is it yours? He is blind, like we were, sitting by the highway, begging, like us. We want peace, we want healing, we want to have the pain in our soul alleviated.

47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

Many of our friends and family, particularly those who are nominal Christians, will try to dissuade us from receiving Christ, lest we become, in their mind, fanatics.

49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.

Thank God, Jesus stood still when you cried out for salvation. Here is the God of the universe stopping what He was doing for some beggar on the side of the road. When someone we think of as great stops to acknowledge our needs or just to acknowledge us we are amazed. Here is our Creator stopping for one blind man.

50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

Here is a picture of salvation as you cast away your dirty rags of self-righteousness for Christ.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

You cast things away when you come to Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:8 ¶ But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Salvation is not a process. It’s immediate and performed completely by Christ in response to your belief that He can and will save you. This is why you can’t lose it. You did nothing to earn it but to cry out.

Latest Reading

Growth of the American Revoluion, 1766-1775, by Bernhard Knollenberg, The Free Press, 1975. This is a very enjoyable and highly readable book that puts events in perspective and in a way the average person can understand. He quotes a lot of direct sources I had not been aware of and brings it all together very nicely.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Exodus, chapters 36 - 40

1 ¶ Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.
2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:

The Lord put the wisdom and the understanding there but the will was theirs.

3 And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.
4 And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;
5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.
6 And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.
7 For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

God hadn’t commanded anyone to tithe here. They gave better under grace than under the Law. Grace should always give better than Law.

On the other hand, can you imagine a modern Pastor with a large building and great expenses, taxes, etc. for the “carrying on of the work” saying, “we have enough”? It’s almost laughable.

8 ¶ And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made he them.
9 The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size.

I’m not sure what it means but notice again the multiples of five, the number of death, or, as some say, the number of grace, although five seems more present in death than in any other concept.

10 And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another.
11 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
12 Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
13 And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle.
14 ¶ And he made curtains of goats’ hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them.
15 The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.
16 And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
17 And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
18 And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.
19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers’ skins above that.
20 And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.
21 The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.
22 One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
23 And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward:
24 And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
25 And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards,
26 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
27 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.
28 And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
29 And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners.
30 And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets.
31 And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
32 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.
33 And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other.
34 And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35 ¶ And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.
36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
37 And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;
38 And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.

Chapter 37

1 ¶ And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.
3 And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.
4 And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
5 And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
6 And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
7 And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;

One piece of gold for both cherubims and the mercy seat is incredible. That would be worth quite a bit of money today if it were found.

A cherub is not an angel, which is an appearance of something, as I have explained before. Here is the definition of a cherub. Read the entire chapter of Ezekiel one and then read the entire chapter of Ezekiel 10, paying note to this verse.

Ezekiel 10:15 And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.

Now, link these with the four beasts around the throne in Revelation.

Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

This is what Satan is and he lost his place.

Ezekiel 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

8 One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
9 And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.
10 ¶ And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:
11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.
12 Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.
13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.
14 Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.
15 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
16 And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.
17 And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
18 And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:
19 Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.
20 And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:
21 And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.
22 Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.
23 And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.
24 Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
25 ¶ And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.
26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.
27 And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.
28 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29 And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

Chapter 38

1 ¶ And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.
2 And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass.
3 And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.
4 And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.
5 And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
6 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.
7 And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.
8 And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
9 ¶ And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:
10 Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
11 And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
13 And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.
14 The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15 And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
17 And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.
18 And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
19 And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.
20 And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.
21 ¶ This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.
22 And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.
23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.
24 All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
25 And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

God keeps close accounts. Every penny we put toward His work, giving in wisdom and carefully, is accounted for and I suspect we will know when we face Him what we gave and why we gave it.

26 A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
27 And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
28 And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.
29 And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.
30 And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,
31 And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.

Chapter 39

1 ¶ And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
2 And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
4 They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
6 And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
7 And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.
8 And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.
10 And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.
11 And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
13 And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
14 And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
15 And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.
16 And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
17 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
18 And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.
19 And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.
20 And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
21 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
22 And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
23 And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.

As many of these verses have been gone over previously as they were mentioned earlier in Exodus I have not commented. Just a note here, though, the habergeon may be the shape of the universe with the hole at the top being the door through which we enter into God’s dwelling place. It’s just a thought.

24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Have you noticed how faithful Moses was? “As the Lord commanded Moses” is repeated over and over.

Hebrews 3:2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

27 And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,
29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
31 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.
32 ¶ Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,
34 And the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the vail of the covering,
35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,
36 The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread,
37 The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,

Isn’t this the third time God has gone through these things? That must mean they are very significant. What are we missing in these verses?

38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
39 The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
41 The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office.
42 According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

Chapter 40

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
3 And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.
4 And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.
5 And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.
6 And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
7 And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.

God has repeated these items many times because these things are important. It is up to us to find out, with the Lord’s help, their significance. I still can’t see it. The Fundamentalists are wrong. The Fundamentals aren’t enough. There are things God wants us to see but our sin is keeping us from seeing them.

8 And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.
9 And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.
10 And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.
11 And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.

Get washing in the blood and get the water, which is the word of God, and get cleaned.

Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
14 And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:
15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
16 ¶ Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.
17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.
18 And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.
19 And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.
20 And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:
21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.
22 And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.
Moses did all of this. This is Moses acting as priest, but he isn’t the priest. Therefore, this first tabernacle can’t be the genuine thing. Everything must point forward, waiting for the true high priest.

Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

23 And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
24 And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.
25 And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
26 And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:
27 And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.
28 And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.
29 And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.
30 And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.
31 And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:

Now, after Moses has dedicated the thing, a priest shows up.

32 When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.
33 And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

34 ¶ Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Amazing this.

36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

The Holy Spirit leads. Don’t get ahead of the Holy Spirit. You can’t handle it. Wait on Him. Be patient. If God has called us to a ministry then He has prepared a ministry for us. If God did not call you, then you will only fail. God moves things around in people’s lives to prepare other people’s ministries. God’s ways can be complicated and tedious but are always sure. Don’t get ahead of God. Remember, Moses was eighty before God used him for His purpose. Your life can be one disaster after another if you are not yielded to Christ. If you are called to a ministry it is up to God to open the doors, not you yourself.

37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

If you are yielded to Him, and you are following Him, He will lead you “throughout all” your “journeys”.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Latest Reading

The Gurkhas, Better to Die Than To Be a Coward, The Inside Story of the World's Most Feared Soldiers, by John Parker, 1999, Headline Book Publishing. It's an interesting book for war and history enthusiasts.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Exodus, chapter 35

1 ¶ And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

Remind your Seventh Day Adventist friends next time you talk with them of this.

4 And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,
5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,

Here, a willing heart is necessary and required. Gold, silver, and brass; deity, redemption, and judgment.

6 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,
7 And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,
8 And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
9 And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
10 And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;

A willing heart is a wise heart.

11 The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,
12 The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,
13 The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread,
14 The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,
15 And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,
16 The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
17 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,
18 The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
19 The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.
20 ¶ And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD’S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

A willing heart, a wise heart, and a heart that has been stirred up is required. This is the totally depraved heart of the man who is not born again, stirring him up. Calvin was wrong, claiming that man was not capable of obeying God until he was born again. Calvin was wrong, wrong, wrong. His spirit, the man’s spirit, made him willing, not the Holy Spirit. Read the plain English. None of these people were born again.

Be careful of the heresy that denies that a man’s spirit can seek God.

22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.

These totally depraved people, with their free will, were willing hearted, made so by their own spirits, to obey God. Now, God has told you to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is your duty. You can do it. Expect these things of people.

23 And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers’ skins, brought them.
24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD’S offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.
25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.

Wise hearted women.
26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair.

The women whose hearts have stirred them up. Not the Holy Spirit. As Bob Jones, Sr. said, “if you ought to do something you can do it.”

You can believe. Then God will save you. You can read and believe the Bible. Then God will sanctify you for His purpose in the measure that He desires. God won’t make you do what you are unable to do. If you can’t do it, God didn’t want you to do it. God has not called me to be a nuclear physicist or to play center for the Lakers.

27 And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;
28 And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

A WILLING offering brought by every man and woman WHOSE HEART made them willing. All I can do is to be willing to serve Christ and to give Him my life and He will do His part. The problem with all of us is heart trouble.

Are you WILLING to give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ?

30 ¶ And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

Here is the spirit of God IN a man in the Old Testament. Notice that He is revealed as an influence rather than the person of the Holy Spirit as it is not capitalized. The Spirit of God is capitalized in many places in the Old Testament. Be careful not being able to rightly divide God’s word. Notice this New Testament reference.

1Peter 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

32 And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
33 And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.

He was give the ability to teach.
35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

Notice how God gives talent. Isn’t it a shame that talented people don’t know the source of their talent.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Exodus, chapter 34

1 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

God points out to Moses how he, Moses, broke the tables of the Law.

2 And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

Here is a type of the Rapture of the church to come. Be ready, in the morning, and come up, in the morning. There are many verses that reflect something special taking place in the morning. Here are some;

Psalm 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Psalm 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Psalm 130:6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Psalm 143:8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

The church age is a type of night. Note these verses;

John 13:30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

We are waiting for the morning when the SON appears just like we wait each morning for the sun to appear;

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

To call us out, to come up.

Proverbs 25:7 For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

First, Christ arose with some of the Old Testament saints, then there is the rapture of the church, and then the rapture of the Jewish saints in the Tribulation. There are a great many verses which we would have to list to show this. But, it is very clear and certain. Early church writers like Shepard, Victorinus, Ephraim the Syrian, and others wrote about the rapture of the church. Modern morons claiming that the Rapture isn’t talked about until Darby in the 1800’s are deficient in their scholarship.

Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Revelation 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

The church, the body of Christ, will present itself before Him at the judgment seat of Christ to receive the reward for what they have done in the body, for their motives, their intentions, and their hypocrisies.

3 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

Notice how personal things are getting. This is a picture of salvation. Christians aren’t saved as a corporate nation like Israel but each of us individually. When you stand before Christ you will stand alone.

4 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
5 ¶ And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
If it weren’t for God’s mercy we wouldn’t be alive. Mercy is negative, refusing to execute deserved judgment. Grace is unmerited favor given and is positive, patient, and God is unbelievably giving to us in goodness and truth. He is very forgiving.

Under the Law God forgives but does not clear the guilty. After He comes to earth and lives as us and then dies for us and is resurrected we are cleared. This is essential to understanding the different dispensations. The Law does not clear the sinner. Shedding a lamb’s blood is only a type of the shedding of Christ’s blood to come.

Notice after the resurrection;

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Redemption is to buy a thing back. Christ cleared the sins that He only forgave and pardoned under the Law. “For the remission of sins” refers to the fact that the sins have already been forgiven. You aren’t baptized to get forgiveness, but as a public token of expression of the fact of something already done, as an act of obedience. Only the Baptist church in all of its different versions understands that baptism doesn’t save you but is an expression of something already accomplished. All Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church are Judaizers, trying to put the believer back under the Law, which is wicked.

8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

You better hurry up and get saved. One proof that people have not received Christ and that God hasn’t shown them anything is that they don’t respond the way Moses and Isaiah and others did when confronted with God.

9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

A governor’s “pardon” doesn’t mean you didn’t commit a crime, it means you have been pardoned. Moses has identified himself with the Hebrews.

10 ¶ And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.

There are several covenants in the Bible. This is the covenant with the Jews. The Hebrew people are founded in signs and wonders. These signs and wonders are not for the church. They are for the Jews.

1Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

Terrible things are things that inspire terror. Judgment is coming.

Deuteronomy 6:19 To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.

Deuteronomy 7:24 And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

It’s interesting how mankind is so in love with war but so hates the idea that God passes judgment. Since we think of ourselves as our own god we resent the competition.

11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;

There is a tremendous spiritual import to sex which is why God likens worshippers of other gods as adulterers, who go “a whoring”. David committed physical adultery and suffered in his life for his sin but is held up to be a “man after God’s own heart”. While Solomon committed spiritual adultery and is held up as an example of someone who has erred. If the wisest man in history was a fool then where does that leave you and me?

Acts 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

IKings 11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: 32 (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) 33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

Nehemiah 13:26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.

These descendants of Ham have sinned to the point in their wicked religious practices that God has decided to destroy them. The worship of Baal included throwing your baby into the superheated arms of an idol and drowning out its screams with bugles and drums playing loud. The mother was not to show emotion lest she displease this god who is Satan. Mature women were to go to a temple and wait for a stranger to throw a coin into their laps to have anonymous sex with them as a sort of “coming of age”. Read Daniel Snell’s “Life in the Ancient Near East” for more information.

Today, in America, we sacrifice the unborn to the gods of affluence and convenience and every woman feels that having sex with someone is the beginning of a relationship rather than the end result after marriage. A coin has been replaced by a pizza and a beer and a movie.

Our sins are almost full. See what Abram was told.

Genesis 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

It’s full at this point.

17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
18 ¶ The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
19 All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.

Job 11:12 For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass‘s colt.

Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

The ass is a type of man while the lamb is a type of Christ.

21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

The feast of unleavened bread and the seventh day Sabbath are two signs for the Jews that God is concerned about.

22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.
23 Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.

Three times all the men shall appear. Three times the words “Come up hither (here)” is said in the Bible. There are three resurrections and raptures of the saved as part of the first resurrection.

Proverbs 25:7 For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

1Corinthians 15:23a But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits;…..

Mt 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

1 Corinthians 15:23b …afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

1Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Revelation 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

1Corinthians 15:24 Then cometh the end…..

Luke 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

24 For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.
25 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.

No leaven is acceptable in the sacrifice.

26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.

The first thing we get as a Christian should have a part given to God as a principle we should follow.

27 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
28 ¶ And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Three people are on a mountain forty days and forty nights. They are the last three persons mentioned in the Old Testament. They are on the mount of transfiguration in the new and figure prominently in the Revelation.

29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

It has been said that people who walk with God closely give off a glow that is noticeable. Obviously, if that is true, there aren’t many people walking with God closely.

Notice the face of Stephen in Acts.

Acts 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
33 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34 But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.

When you stand before the Lord you must take the veil off of your face. He sees you for what you really are and all of your lies and self deception will not change anything. You will not fool God. When you pray, you might be fooled by your phony use of spiritual sounding words but God can see right through your self-worshipping, self delusion. One of my pet peeves is a sermon disguised as a prayer. It has to be an affront to God because it isn’t made to Him but for the people who are hearing’s benefit. Take the veil off for God. He’s not fooled.

35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Mark, Chapter Nine

1 ¶ And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

What happens next, in this paragraph, is the fulfillment of this statement. The kingdom of God comes with power when Jesus is revealed in His glory. They are getting a glimpse of what will happen at the end. This is a picture of what is going to happen.

Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Revelation 19:11 ¶ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

The timing shows that this will occur after six thousand years of human history.

2Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Now, modern Christians have a problem. According to current Hebrew thinking, this is year 5768 from creation. If their calendar is correct and that is a very big “if” then Christ’s return is not due for another two hundred plus years. However, we are to live as if it is going to be any second that the church is raptured (the rapture is different than His bodily return, but is before it) but quit trying to pick dates.

3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

Revelation 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

Elijah represents the living saints and the prophets while Moses represents the dead saints and the Law. Their bodies were searched for but were not found and Satan disputed over the body of Moses. They will return in the Tribulation.

Revelation 11:3 ¶ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

2 Kings 2: 16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.

5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

He will return in His glory to reign on earth at the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall of the year. Run all of the verses on the Feast of Tabernacles at the end times.

Zechariah 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Zechariah 14:18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

In a short moment we will see that Peter regarded the Bible in front of you as being of more value than his hearing of this voice, yet, many modern Christians are willing to be deceived by Satan and want to hear an audible voice from God in this dispensation disregarding the means of sanctification that God has given them.
1 Corinthians 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

You have that which is perfect, the Authorized Version of the Bible, right in your hand. Don’t disregard it.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Psalm 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.
9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

Later, Peter will talk about what he has seen;

2 Peter 1:12 ¶ Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. 16 ¶ For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

Of course, I might add, that right after the relating of his eyewitness experience he states that the word of God is a more certain truth and to be trusted more than one’s experience, which should give many modern Christians pause.

2 Peter 1:19 ¶ We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Better run your own personal take on what the Bible is saying by some spirit filled people to make sure you aren’t running off half nuts. Beware of someone who says, “God gave only me this special understanding”. They’re fakes.

10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

Most Jews believed in a resurrection of the dead but what does a resurrection FROM the dead mean?

John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Acts 4:1 ¶ And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Romans 1:1 ¶ Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

We will be raised before the resurrection of the dead because of Jesus.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Then comes the resurrection of the dead.

Revelation 20:11 ¶ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Remember what Daniel said.

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

They still don’t understand that Jesus must die and rise.

11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
12 And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.
13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Referring to the birth of John the Baptist.

Luke 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Matthew 11:7 ¶ And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

14 ¶ And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Here is an example of what demonic possession can do. This request is a classic for all of us. We should all be saying at some point in time “help thou mine unbelief”. You can believe and have a great need for faith to be given to you by God. Pray for faith. When you get saved you don’t have all the faith you need.

Romans 14:1 ¶ Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

1Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Also, we should be asking Jesus Christ to rebuke the devils. We should resist the Devil. There are, as I said before, people who think they can command Satan to leave a place in Jesus name. They are foolishly mistaken. You have no example in the Bible where you talk to Satan in prayer. You are never to speak to Satan directly but to call upon God to rebuke him. Pastors who command Satan in prayer to leave, even in Christ’s name, have merely invited an infestation of devils on their congregation. These devils won’t leave easily and you can have spirits of apathy and dull hearing and those who create bitterness, jealousy, envy, and rebellion. I have left “revival” meetings and not returned to them because a Pastor spoke to Satan in prayer, prayer that should be reserved only for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Zechariah 3:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

Jude 8 ¶ Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

You can’t honestly claim to be like Moses or Paul. Your Pastor is not Moses and is not Paul. To claim that he can command a devil to leave is to imply that he has the power of the Apostles. The Apostles are in heaven and their gifts are not manifest in the church as we have something more perfect, that does not point to us, but to Christ; His Book. He is the local bishop/pastor of the local church. Satan knows your weakness and pride. You think you can command Satan to do ANYTHING? You are called to do one thing.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Nowhere are you told to rebuke the Devil.

Claiming Apostolic gifts to point to your own spirituality and how close you walk with God is a sham in comparison to submitting to the authority of His word. Today, we have people who create rankings of Christians, those who are great Christians who have apostolic gifts and/or think they are without sin in their lives. Their experience with Christ is first and foremost. It’s all about them, not Christ, although they pay lip service to Him.

You can see that they have not submitted to the words of God to sanctify their lives because their affections are little different from the unsaved. If they don’t go to bars, they’ll attend professional sporting events and criticize those who go to bars. If they don’t go to movies, they’ll watch TV and criticize those who go to movies. If they don’t smoke, they’ll be addicted to caffeine, and criticize those who smoke. The modern Pharisee has created, like the Pharisee of old, standards that are comfortable to him. The Pastor who is a Pharisee will say that his standards are godly and that if you put more or less on him than he does you are being rebellious.

Then, that Pastor will think that he is an Old Testament prophet, or priest, or even perhaps Paul or Moses. He will command spirits to leave, thereby infesting his congregation with them. He will go to the Law or the Tribulation books of the Bible for his doctrine and then, pick what he thinks he has and discount the rest. If you don’t manifest the gifts or righteousness this Pharisee has then you are backslidden or steeped in sin.

There is no liberty in his doctrine, only chains. He is a Judaizer, trying to put his congregation under the bondage of the law. He will not uplift the testimony you have at work or in your family because those things compete with his demand that you be at his beck and call. And, in his arrogance, he will claim powers of healing and the rebuke of devils that he does not have. People who focus on special gifts and their own righteousness, salvation experience, and works, and thus themselves, and don’t focus on the word of God to transform their lives think they have the power of God on their lives and that they are an example of a Christian reaching for perfection. Instead, they are why there will be no revival in America that is from God.

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
There are differences in the strength of spirits. All devil possession, unlike Hollywood’s screenplays, does not involve throwing up and having your head spin. There are spirits of apathy and spirits of sloth and spirits of lying.

Numbers 5:14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:

Isaiah 19:14 The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.

Hosea 5:4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.

Acts 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

Recognize that there are different levels of spirits and fear, not them, but God. You don’t want God to unleash one of these on you. Think of your immune system as a type for understanding. There are so many microscopic organisms waiting to take you down that if your immune system is weakened you will get very sick. You need the Holy Spirit to restrain these spirits and be your shield. If God withdraws His hand of blessing from you, physical disease is not the only infestation you will have to be concerned with. Always pray for God to rebuke the evil and unclean spirits in your body and mind and wherever you are.

Psalm 7:1 ¶ O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

Obviously, this isn’t a human enemy.

Psalm 3:3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Jesus is making an important point about prayer AND fasting, which focuses you on the spiritual world.

30 ¶ And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.
31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Like most of us, the Jews were taught so many errors that they were unable to understand the truth when it was presented to them. Many Christians are blind to great Bible truths because they’ve been taught so many errors by preachers whose main concern was their work for Christ rather than for Christ. Judge what you are told by the Bible, not the Bible by what you are told.

The Bible is simple in its organization. The Old Testament ends with Malachi with the prophets being after the books of history and law because now they are looking forward to Christ’s second coming. The gospels are a transition with the Old Testament in force until Christ is dead and risen. Acts is a transition which shows the changing history of the early church until all truth is revealed to them that they are going to get. It is the age of the Apostles and their personal power and miracles which God gave to them but which die out when the Bible is complete, that which is perfect has come, and together in the early second century. Then comes Romans through Philemon, the Church Age where the dispensation of grace is preeminent. Then comes the transition book of Hebrews and the General Epistles and Revelation which reveal doctrine in the Tribulation, the wrath to come. Every verse applies to you doctrinally if it doesn’t contradict the Church Age letters’ clear statements. Every verse in the Bible can be applied to you practically but you must be careful not to be a Judaizer and attempt to put yourself and anyone else back under the Law. There are smaller divisions as well but 95% of the Bible is written to a Jew under the Law and/or in the Tribulation. Christians who claim to be the new Jew have a problem when Christ condemns them for saying they are Jews when they are not. Then they adopt the rituals and priestly attire of the Hebrews and we’re off to the races with preachers calling themselves apostles and prophets and people killing people in the name of Christ. It would be laughable if it were not so tragic that Benny Hinn has never healed anyone and that Oral Roberts had to call the ambulance when a tent fell down on a meeting and injured dozens of people he should have been able to heal. Why aren’t these fakers going to a children’s hospital cancer ward if they are genuine?

Many verses do double duty. For instance, Hebrews 6:1-6 show doctrinally that in the Tribulation you can lose your salvation and, if you do, you can’t be saved again. It spiritually and practically applies to a Christian today in showing that you can’t get saved twice, once saved always saved.

I’d be very afraid if I was one of those people who believed that the whole Bible is the same and there are no dispensations or different doctrinal periods. Based on that, they believe they can lose their salvation. If that’s the case, then the verses in Hebrews show that once they do they are lost forever. Christ won’t be crucified again. Once again, if I was one of those, “it’s all the same” people, then I’d be very afraid if I questioned, because of their behavior, whether or not someone was actually saved, because ascribing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan is the unforgiveable sin and you would be doomed.

So, be careful, those of you who insist that you have to twist verses to keep them from contradicting other verses and mock those who are called “dispensationalists”. My hearing shuts off as soon as I hear any preacher force the Bible to contradict itself to justify his own personal convictions.

33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

Human pride and self-worship are impediments to dealing with the spirit world.

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,
37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

This is a kingdom of heaven reference, dealing with the Great Tribulation to come and with the physical kingdom of Christ on earth after He returns. Notice the contrast.

Matthew 18:1 ¶ At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

A spiritual application to Christians in the Church Age would be quite obvious. Remember, any verse from any dispensation that does not contradict the Church Age letters is doctrinal for us. Otherwise, it is in type for us, an allegorical application is necessary. Remember what I have said about the verses about invading the land of Canaan and how you aren’t called to kill anyone for God, however, you do have sins that are squatters in the promised land that God has given to you.

So, that any preacher applying these verses to you is not wrong. But, if he were to say that you get into heaven by receiving a child in Christ’s name, he would be in error. That if he received a child he received Christ.

We are to humble ourselves like a little child is humble by virtue of his or her weakness and inability to comprehend great things. Christ prefers in us the simplicity, the simple trust of a child. In addition, there are few greater ministries than caring for children and teaching them the word of God.

38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.
40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

Carnival barkers and hucksters like Benny Hinn and Oral Roberts will use a passage such as this to “prove” that they are working by the power of the Holy Spirit rather than by the spirit of Satan. Men don’t do miracles in this age. Christ performs miracles at His will and choosing through specific men at specific times but like in the age of the Apostles. We have our miracle, in God’s perfectly preserved words found in the AV 1611, the King James Bible.

Let me say it again, there is no man in this age who has the power of the Holy Spirit residing on him continually, day in and day out, to heal miraculously, to speak in foreign languages in which he has not been trained, or to raise the dead. God can and will use individuals from time to time to accomplish such things but those who make hundreds of millions of dollars off of people who are desperate and fearful are wicked, evil men who are doing lying wonders and false signs of Satan.

1Corinthians 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

It’s here. Take up and read. Hear it. Let it change you daily.

41 ¶ For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

While this is quite applicable to us spiritually, in this age, there is no man who can give a Christian a cup of water in Christ’s name who will be saved because of that work if he rejects Christ. But, here, a man is going to get a reward and not lose it for giving a cup of water to one of these Jewish apostles in Christ’s name. See the evangelist virgins of Revelation.

42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

The world’s treatment of children is going to be one good reason for why God is going to be so harsh on the world at the end. The treatment of children all over the world is wicked. God is coming to stomp out this world for its wickedness. God is watching. When our sins are filled up He will come, but in His own time.

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Here’s one that will get the mentally ill person way off track if he doesn’t understand the different dispensations. This is NOT FOR YOU. There is no way to get into heaven by self-mutilation. There are doctrinal applications for the Tribulation whereby you can lose your salvation and if you do you can’t get saved again.

Hebrews 6:1 ¶ Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit. 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Your hand causes you to sin? Not in this dispensation. But, the Mark of the Beast is important to read about in Revelation. If you, in the Tribulation, were to take that Mark you would be damned.

Jesus Himself shows that this verse has a different application than literal.

Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Evil proceeds from the heart. The hand just does what its told.

But, back to doctrine. You can’t lose your salvation in the Church Age.

Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

So, although there are many practical preaching applications to this verse (and they are many and obvious) don’t go thinking you can get into heaven by cutting off a body part or gouging out an eye.

44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Isaiah 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. 24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

This passage has no doctrinal application to the church age. Practically, you can say that you need to cast off anything from your life that would keep you from Christ. But, no one’s hand or eyes is keeping him from Jesus Christ in this age so, there is no call to mutilate yourself.

It would appear that this is a reference to eternity, but some say it is a reference to the millennial kingdom. Revelation makes it clear that there will be literal flesh and blood people who will have to come into the New Jerusalem in eternity from the earth to take of the tree of life. The church age saints will not require the tree of life as we have eternal life right now in Jesus Christ. But, remember, the Jews inherit the earth itself. This has led to speculation about God wanting to populate His new universe with people without sin.

45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Three times, Christ mentions this passage to the Jews so it must be important for them.

47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Leviticus 2:13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

Every wicked one into the fire and every saved person will be preserved as with salt. This is the great white throne judgment at the end of the millennial reign of Christ. This will be the final judgment and the “general” resurrection that most Catholics and most Protestants regard as the only resurrection as they can’t read well.

50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

One can come up with all kinds of spiritual applications but only a moron would confuse a practical, spiritual application of a verse not doctrinally applicable to himself with doctrine for this age.