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The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace . . . Galatians 5.22

In examining the fruits of the Holy Spirit—which express Christian witness—we shall readily see that they are none other than selfless acts. What is love? Love is loving others without thinking of self. What is joy? It is looking at God in spite of self. Patience is despising one’s own hardship. Peace is disregarding one’s loss. Gentleness is overlooking one’s rights. Humility is forgetting one’s merits. Temperance is the self under control. And faithfulness is self-restraint. As we examine every Christian virtue, we will discern that other than being delivered from self or being forgetful of self, a believer has no other virtue. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is determined by one principle alone: the losing of self totally.

I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother’s womb; if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. Judges 16.17

Samson was a man who was full of power. The source of his power was in his hair. And as soon as his hair was shaved, Samson’s power was lost. What was there about his hair to make him powerful? This hair of Samson’s, we must remember, was the hair of a Nazirite. And a Nazirite in Bible times was one who was fully consecrated to God. And hence all real spiritual powers derived from the measure of one’s consecration to the Lord. If our consecration is superficial, we shall be like a paralyzed person who has no power. But if our consecration to God is absolute, we will find the power. Therefore, no matter how and where we seek, we must be mindful continually that power is conditional upon man’s consecration.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4.7

Do not think that there is very little in the earthen vessel, which metaphor Paul uses to refer to our physical body. We learn from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian believers that there is a tremendous treasure in our earthen vessels. But do we actually believe it? God’s children ought to know what they have obtained at the moment of new birth. It may have taken only a minute to have received the Lord and been born again but it will need thirty or forty years beyond that moment to discover what each received in that one precious moment. No child of God can fully know on earth the

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In short, the reason you want to to be watchful and prayerful and keep the word of His patience (Matt. 24.40-42, Luke 21.36, Rev. 3.10) is because if you don't you will not be received, taken or raptured at the first rapture "before the throne" (Rev. 7.9) before the first trumpet (8.7ff) of the Tribulation begins. Thus, you will pass through the Tribulation and be raptured at the last trumpet instead. And if you remain with that same attitude of not being ready, you will also not return with Christ (Jude 14,15) to reign over the nations (Rev. 2.26, 20.4-6) for the 1000 years. Thus, shall you be disciplined for 1000 years in "outer darkness" (having no fire or furnace about it) outside the light of rewards of reigning with Christ for the 1000 years. That's a long time as one of the 5 unwise virgins to lose rewards, not permitted to enter the marriage feast of the millennial first resurrection kingdom reign.

And the reason we know the Tribulation is Sept. 14, 2015 to Aug. 7, 2022 is because this is exactly 2,520 days required for 7 years x 360 days per year of Daniel's prophecy that is applied to the last 3 feasts pertaining to when Jesus returns with the first rapture on Feast of Trumpets and Jesus stepping down on the mount of olives on Tisha B'Av (1260th day) to reign in the Temple by the 1335th day (75 days after He steps down). The 1335th day is after the 3 feasts and on the 4th day of Simchat Torah (Oct. 18-21, 2022), the final celebration as a 4 day inspection. Simchat Torah is when Israel brings out the Torah Scroll to read as well to show forth the 3 items of the Ark of the Covenant: rod that budded, ten commandments and manna from heaven.

The Holy of Holies represents our spirit, the Holy Place our soul and the outer court our body. The Holy Spirit comes down and rests in our new spirit possesing eternal life. Our spirit has three functions exhibited in the Holy of Holies. We know the law of the Ten Commandments by our conscience that convicts us. We commune in our spirit with God as Hi Holy Spirit comes down across the cheribum to the mercy seat. Intuitively we know by what the Holy Spirit conveys to us His will by the law. And the 3 items in Ark represent the work of the Trinity: the rod that budded (Spirit's movement), manna from heaven to be eaten (word of God), and the Ten Commandments (given by the Father). The Ark of Testimony of God is not located in our soul or body but our spirit.

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The 7 Words Jesus Spoke on the Cross

On the cross, our Lord spoke seven words, which were: (1) “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”—forgive on the basis of atonement; (2) “To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise”—the teaching out of redemption; (3) “Behold, thy mother,” Jesus had said to John—signifying that all who are born of God become one family, and this is due to the work of redemption; (4) “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”—He who knew no sin was made sin for us; (5) “I thirst”—for the wrath of God was on Him; (6) “It is finished”—He cried with a loud voice that it was done, indicating by this that the work of redemption was finished; and (7) “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”—He gave up or dismissed his spirit, which meant that though men could crucify Him they themselves could not put Him to death. He himself gave up His own life.

The veil is now rent; otherwise, no man could ever draw near to God. Man of old could enter into the holy place, but never the holiest of all except for the high priest who in type represented the Great High Priest (Jesus) who was to come. It is God who has rent the veil; thus the way to God is opened. Because Christ died, I now can live. Because He lives, I may enter into glory.

And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there. Acts 20.22.

As the human body has its senses, so the human spirit has its sensing too. We call this sensing of the spirit "intuition," for it comes directly from the spirit. For instance, we may be contemplating doing a certain thing. It appears quite reasonable, we like it, and we decide to go ahead. Yet somehow within us is a heavy, oppressive, unspeakable sensing which seems to oppose what our mind has thought, our emotion has embraced, and our will has decided. It seems to tell us that this thing should not be done. This is the restraint of intuition.

Or take another yet opposite example. A certain thing may be unreasonable, contrary to our delight, and very much against our will. But for some unknown reason there is within us a kind of constraint, urge or encouragement for us to do it. If we do, we will feel comfortable inside. This is the constraint of intuition.

Do You Think You Will be Raptured Before the Tribulation Just Because You Are Saved?

On that day of first rapture, there "shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matt. 24.40). Both of them are Christians working for the Lord.

Both male and female qualify for the first rapture. "Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (v.41).

Which one will be taken at the first rapture and which one will be left to pass through the Tribulation to be raptured at the last trumpet? "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come" (v.42). Whomever is watchful shall be raptured "before the throne" in heaven (Rev. 7.9) prior to the start of the Tribulation's first trumpet (8.7ff) at the beginning of the seven years.

Are all Christians watchful? Of course not. Many if not most Christians are tied down to the world like a balloon unwilling to be released. They lie on a bed of fornication spiritually speaking, hardly living as sojourners in the world.

Some question whether both are Christians. Yet it is emphasized "your Lord doth come" to indicate you are a Christian but that if you are not watchful, you shall be left to pass through the time of testing. Though you can't lose eternal life as my brother or sister in Christ, for the Bible is clear those who are born-again "they shall never perish" (John 10.28), you can quite easily not be taken up to the throne to stand before Jesus when the Tribulation starts. Better you be aware of this now! This is what Paul was preeminently concerned with to receive the reward of returning with Christ.

My concern is presuming you are not ready to be raptured alive on Sept. 14, 2015 on Feast of Trumpets (the Tribulation is from Sept. 14, 2015 to Aug. 7, 2022), I'd like to know how will you respond to a couple million that have vanished on that day (not including you)? Will you accuse them of being a "fake rapture," acting like Satan that great accuser accusing the brethren day and night (Rev. 12.10)? Or will you realize what I have told you that if you were not ready, still loving the world too much, that God did not consider you worthy at that time because you were unwilling to overcometh.

All Christians overcometh, but not all Christians overcome at the same time. There are advanced parties ...

Raptured Alive

We know that at the return of the Lord Jesus many will be raptured alive. This is the last way of overcoming death. Both 1 Corinthians 15.51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4.14-17 discuss this way. We realize there is no set date for the Lord’s coming. He could have come at any time during the past twenty centuries. Hence believers always could cherish the hope of being raptured without passing through the grave. Since the coming of the Lord Jesus is currently much nearer than before, our hope of being raptured alive is greater than that of our predecessors. We do not wish to say too much, but these few words we can safely affirm; namely, should the Lord Jesus come in our time, would we not want to be living so as to be raptured alive? If so, then we must overcome death, not letting ourselves die before our appointed hour so that we may be raptured alive. According to the prophecy of Scripture, some believers shall be raptured without going through death. To be thus raptured constitutes one more kind of victory over death. As long as we remain alive on earth we cannot deny we may be the ones to be so raptured. Should we not therefore be prepared to overcome death completely?

Perhaps we will die; nonetheless, we are not necessarily under any obligation so to do. The words the Lord Jesus variously proclaimed make this teaching crystal clear. On the one hand our Lord asserted: "he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6.54). On the other hand, yet on the same occasion, Jesus also affirmed this: "This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever" (v.58). What the Lord is saying is that among those who believe in Him, some will die and be raised up while others will not pass through death at all.

The Lord Jesus expressed this view at the death of Lazarus: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11.25-26). Here the Lord is not only the resurrection but also the life. However, most of us believe Him as the resurrection, yet forget that He also is the life. We readily admit He will raise us up after we die, but do we equally acknowledge that He, because He is our life, is able to keep us alive? The Lord Jesus explains to us His two ...

Their Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of every saved man to serve the Lord according to his capacity and in his own sphere. God did not appoint elders to do the work on behalf of their brethren; after the appointment of elders, as before, it is still the brethren’s duty and privilege to serve the Lord. Elders are also called “bishops” (Acts 20.28; Titus 1.5,7). The term “elder” relates to their person; the term “bishop” to their work. “Bishop” means “overseer,” and an overseer is not one who works instead of others, but one who supervises others as they work. God intended that every Christian should be a “Christian worker,” and He appointed some to take the oversight of the work so that it might be carried on efficiently. It was never His thought that the majority of the believers should devote themselves exclusively to secular affairs and leave the church matters to a group of spiritual specialists. This point cannot be overemphasized. Elders are not a group of men who contract to do the church work on behalf of its members; they are only the head-men who superintend affairs. It is their business to encourage the backward and restrain the forward ones, never doing the work instead of them, but simply directing them in the doing of it.

The responsibility of an elder relates to matters temporal and spiritual. They are appointed to “rule,” and also to “instruct” and “shepherd.” “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in the word and in teaching” (1 Tim. 5.17). “Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according unto God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5.2,3).

The Word of God uses the term “rule” in connection with the responsibilities of an elder. The ordering of church government, the management of business affairs and the care of material things, are all under their control. But we must remember that a scriptural church does not consist of an active and a passive group of brethren, the former controlling the latter, and the latter simply submitting to their control, or the former bearing all the burden whilst the latter settle down in ease to enjoy the ...