• Regeneration

    by Published on 10-03-2011 02:45 PM     Number of Views: 2072 
    1. Categories:
    2. Regeneration,
    3. Millennial Kingdom

    My favorite reasoning is all those verses that speak of Jesus returning with saints (e.g. Jude 14,15) to reign, it wouldn't make much sense for overcomers to return with Christ to earth only to plop back up to heaven. They are going to stay around for 1000 years to reign with a rod of iron (Rev. 12.5) over the nations (2.26), not in some fantasy amillennial way, before the New City and New Earth commence.

    "In the regeneration"
    (Matt. 19.28)—This word "regeneration" is used twice in the Bible: once in Titus 3.5 where it points to personal recovery—which is a being born again, and here in this verse 28 where it refers to the recovery of the world—the consequence of which is the millennium (see also Rom. 8.19-23 and Is. 11. 6-9). From Adam until Moses sin was in the world (Rom. 12.14), and from Moses until the Lord Jesus sin reigned (see Rom. 5.12-14, 21). All who are born again in this age are delivered from the power of sin, but not delivered from the presence of sin. Likewise in the regeneration of the world, first comes the deliverance from the power of sin (for Satan is bound for a thousand years—the period of the millennial kingdom—which is done by the Lord and not through any social reform done by men), and then shall come the new heaven and the new earth with deliverance from the presence of sin.

    Revelation 20.3 says the nations won't be deceived in the 1000 years, so obviously it is not happening now. Rev. 2.26, 12.5, 20.4-6 say.

    Zech. 8.2 "'I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her.' 3 "Thus says the Lord: 'I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the Lord of hosts, The Holy Mountain.' 4 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. 5 The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls. 8. Playing in its streets.' 6 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?' Says the Lord of hosts. 7 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; 8 I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem (Matt. 24.31 "elect"). They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.'
    by Published on 06-16-2011 11:36 AM     Number of Views: 1657 
    1. Categories:
    2. Regeneration

    If you are sincere and intellectually honest with yourself you will ask yourself this life changing question. The alternative is to remain eternally separated from your Creator. Free will is not true free will unless you have this choice. You wouldn't want it any other way for anything else is lesser, unsatisfying, insufficient and deficient.

    Since almost all scholars in this field agree based on historical standards the original disciples truly believed they saw Jesus alive from the dead in various group settings and Jesus was the most documented person in antiquity (i.e. 45 sources within 150 years of his death, 17 of which are non-Christian), it is incumbent on you (i.e., burden of proof) to find a naturalistic explanation for the origin of the disciples' beliefs for their eyewitness testimony. Otherwise your faith is blind, self indulgent, illogical and unjustifiable. What say you?

    I hold the same standard for myself that I judge you with. "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (Matt. 7.2). But since I give into this evidence I will not be judged for the judgment that comes upon a person who rejects Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, Creator, 2nd Person of the Trinity, died on the cross for the sins of the world (to save whosoever is willing to believe in Him, John 3.16), and resurrected the third day to give everlasting life-eternal life as opposed to conscious eternal separation in eternal perdition (Hell). "And death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire" (v.14) which is Hell. Unlike any natural fire that burns out, this one never does. "He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone" (14.10), and "they have no rest day nor night" (v.11), for it "will never burn out" (Matt. 25.41). They "will never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out" (Is. 66.24). This fire represents eternal judgment from which there is no escape nor would the unsaved want to leave this place, because they want to be eternally separated from God. This place has no love, no peace and no joy. Most of all it is without God's presence.

    Many theories have been put forth to try to refute this truth but they don't work:
    1. Hallucination theory fails because modern psychology says group hallucinations are impossible.
    2. Swoon theory fails because Jesus wouldn't have look much like a risen Messiah all beat up.
    3. Empty tomb theory doesn't present any challenge to their eyewitness testimony.
    4. Twin theory is silly for no mention is made of this twin brother amongst Jesus' brothers and sisters.
    5. Legend theory fails because no documents in antiquity are so closely recorded to the time of events.
    6. Fraud theory is unworkable because people don't willingly die for what they know is a lie.
    7. Independent story is not tenable because of so much corroboration, e.g. second generation apostle Polycarp was a student of John and Clement of Rome was friends with Peter, and multiple books with different writing styles cross-reference many workers together setting up the churches, e.g. Paul said he spent 15 days with Peter and with John and James on more than one occasion. Mark and Barnabas worked with Paul, Peter and John. And Luke who wrote Luke and Acts worked with Paul and Peter. To name a few!

    In conclusion, a Christian is fully justified in Christ with this evidence. It stands up in a court of law. Christianity is unique because only in our faith does God enter His creation, pays the ransom for sin as only God could do, and proves Himself unequivocally by His resurrection. There can be no greater proof. A non-Christian (Hindu, Muslim, Atheist, etc.) has no evidence for his or her faith for they just take it on blind faith. Understand carefully that believing something doesn't make it true. You need evidence. Amen! "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (1 Thess. 5.21).

    Unless you believe in Jesus who He truly is, God has no choice but to send you where you want to go. "That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins" (John 8.24).

    Praise the Lord!
    by Published on 05-15-2011 10:11 AM     Number of Views: 13671 
    1. Categories:
    2. Regeneration,
    3. Reward for Overcomers

    Since Adam let's say there will be 50 billion souls that have lived up to the moment of the return of Christ, 250 billion more souls during the millennial kingdom, and the New City will contain at most 1 billion souls to fit comfortably the space provided in Revelation 21 of 1379 x 1379 miles. So that's a savings ratio of 1 in 300 souls.

    I also assume that only about 1/7th of those saved will return with Christ to reign during the 1000 years because only 1 of the 7 churches in Rev. 2 & 3 is an overcomer church. So 1 in 300 of 50 billion is about 170 million. 1/7th of 170M is about 24 million souls. However, this conflicts with Jude 14,15.

    "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (Jude 14,15).

    Do you see? If only 10,000 return with Jesus which is 1/7th of those thusfar saved then the total saved would be 70,000 not 170 million.

    Even if "ten thousands" meant tens of the thousands, at most that number would be less than 100,000, otherwise it would read "hundreds of thousands." So the upper boundary of these figures could be as much as 10 times the calculations I have provided here, but the total saved would still be at most 1 billion.

    There is also "144,000" virgin firstfruits (Rev. 14.1-5) which is a class of believers in the total number of overcomers these past 2000 years. How do we reconcile this number with only 70,000 saves thusfar since Adam? One might say the 144,000 virgin firstfruits span the entire time from Christ's first coming to His second coming. This is a very special class of believers that are closest to Christ.

    Based on this clear word of Scripture, the savings ratio prior to the return of Christ is 70,000/50 billion ~ 1 in 700,000 souls. During the millennium another 999,030,000 would be saved for a total of 1 billion. The savings ratio during the millennium, thus, would be 999,070,000/250 billion souls = 1 in 250.

    And if only 7 billion are alive today when Jesus returns and the savings ratio is 1 in 700,000 that's only 10,000 Christians alive today. Of those 10,000, only about 1/7th would be first raptured-about 1400 souls-since the first rapture is according to readiness (Matt. 24.40-42, Luke 21.36, Rev. 3.10). Isn't that amazing? Only about 1400 souls would be ready to be received "before the throne" (Rev. 7.9) before the first trumpet of the Tribulation starts (8.7ff).

    As you can see the savings ratio dramatically increases with the presence of Jesus. I suspect the savings ratio was less than 1 in 700,000 souls prior to Christ, then 1 in 700,000 during the dispensation of grace, then drops down to 1 in 250 during the millennial kingdom.

    Of course, I could be wrong somewhere in this analysis, but if Jesus only returns with 10,000 of His saints as Jude said, we can be confident though I may be off on the exact numbers, the principle of what I have just said remains true. The message, therefore, people will be greatly surprised how low the savings ratio actually is.

    Today 100 people attend on Sunday a congregation and another meeting, 1000 people attend a church gathering. The implication of the savings ratio is it is likely none of them are saved. Perhaps at most one is saved.

    Lord, if I have erred in this message, please correct me so that I may speak and do your will. Let one of your saints correct me in what I have said because what I have said seems perfectly reasonable and seems to fit your approval.
    by Published on 03-21-2011 03:59 PM     Number of Views: 2979 
    1. Categories:
    2. Regeneration

    Warren Buffet and Bill Gates
    Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are going to Hell. Was it worth it?

    Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are going to Hell. They will never give their lives to Christ. They are too set in their ways.

    What is it worth to be such wonderfully good people so loving to their family and others, give away so much money, yet still reject Jesus for their salvation?

    Is it worthy it?

    Is it worth it for Warren to give a personal compliment (as taught in his favorite books - How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie or Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill) to gain productivity out of someone or take advantage of them by causing them to sell to Warren at a lower price or buy from him at a higher price while secretly rejecting Lord Jesus Christ? Would the Apostles conduct themselves that way? Is that how Jesus would behave? "He who despises the word [of God] will die" in his sins (Prov. 19.16).

    Is it worth it to influence people to be like you yet not say a word about Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of the whole world? To more is given, greater is his responsibility. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have squandered their family and financial blessings because they are at the end of the day antichrists.

    How many have they turned away from Jesus with their approach to life? The children of the Gates and Buffet family should be ashamed of their dad.

    How much money have they given to non-Christians over Christians because of their disdain for Jesus being God?

    I think Warren and Bill Gates cumulatively have done more damage than any two individuals in history because of their influence. They don't give their lives to Christ and don't mention Jesus to save sinners because it hurts their pocket book too much.

    I was trying to decide if I should provide the common verses about how it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven who gives his money away after he dies than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, but then I thought, I am not to give what is holy unto dogs, so I am not going to provide any Scriptures here. I certainly won't mention anything about Jesus having said, If you are unwilling to confess Him before others, He will certainly deny you before His Father in heaven. And if you are not for Jesus, that is, who He really is, you are certainly siding with Satan against Him.

    Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have chosen to be eternally separated from God so however good they may appear to be on television or in jesting with one another, even in their personal lives, don't buy it because the greatest sin of all is in rejecting God the Father's only begotten Son who Himself is God the Son in the Godhead who created all things and rose the third day as only God could do.

    Though I am sure others have said this, I haven't read anywhere anyone pointing out these obvious facts, so I thought I should just plainly state it here. Hopefully, more people will point this out for the betterment of mankind.

    Amen.

    Troy
    by Published on 11-15-2010 04:36 AM     Number of Views: 2260 
    1. Categories:
    2. Regeneration

    Many Atheists, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists will say that if Jesus showed Himself before their very eyes and convinced them or performed some miracle that they would accept He is God, died on the cross for the sins of the world and was resurrected the third day.

    I really doubt that. My question is, how do you know this Jesus is the same Jesus of two thousand years ago? Does not the evidence of 2000 years ago stand on its own to prove Jesus is God? And if Jesus were to return personally to you right now then how could that be Jesus since the Jesus proven 2000 years ago is the one who said when He returns we will all know it.

    "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matt. 24.27).

    "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him..." (Rev. 1.7).

    "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1.11).

    "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" (Zech. 14.4).

    So let me get this right, you want Jesus to perform a parlor trick just for you? Isn't that selfish? What you are telling me is if a Jesus displays himself before you and does adequate enough tricks according to your selfish wants, you will accept him as the Jesus of 2000 years ago?

    Isn't that contradictory? You're claiming you will accept the historical Jesus based on a false Jesus that presents himself to you today? That's crazy. So illogical! Do you really think you are being intellectually honest with yourself?

    The reason Jesus is not here now is because you killed him, or people like you you killed, so you don't want Him here, otherwise you would not have killed Him.

    So He will return when we really need Him like the first nation He presented Himself to was Israel who were enslaved for 400 years. They had an ear to hear then when no one else would.

    The Tribulation will shortly come to pass, only then will Jesus return in Person.

    See, that's how it works! That's reality.

    In my experience trying to talk logically to an atheist or believer in any other religion is futile, because they have already made up their mind. What you have to do to convince someone to believe in Christ is draw them to the Person indwelling in you by the Holy Spirit.

    The only way to show someone saving grace is to show them that it is no longer ...
    by Published on 11-04-2010 12:17 PM     Number of Views: 2612 
    1. Categories:
    2. Regeneration

    “They shall never perish,” says the Lord (John 10.28). Eternity exists before the creation of the heavens and the earth, and it extends beyond the events of the book of Revelation. In between these two is the temporary period which can also be called time. Between creation and the events of the book of Revelation Christians may receive punishment during this period.

    In 2 Corinthians 5 we read: “we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (v.10). Some will receive bad recompense. If this is not punishment, what is it?

    Likewise, Luke 12 states: “And that servant, who knew his lord’s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more” (vv.47-48). The beating is both b efore and after the judgment seat. It incurs not only the loss of reward but also the possibility of being beaten.

    With regard to the words “suffer loss” in 1 Corinthians 3.15 someone has said that any loss without the inflicting of suffering cannot be reckoned as the suffering of loss. The consequence of “abide not” is to “cast them into the fire” (John 15.6). This without a doubt speaks of punishment. Revelation 2.11 declares: “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death”; in other words, he who does not overcome will be hurt of the second death. Who shall reign with Christ for a thousand years? The answer: “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev. 20.6).

    According to the original rendering of John 10.28, “they shall never perish” should be translated “in no wise shall they perish for ever”*—in other words, if believers should sin and fail to repent, they will suffer temporarily what the unbelievers will suffer eternally.

    *The Englishman’s Greek New Testament with Interlinear Translation ...
    by Published on 01-11-2010 10:11 PM     Number of Views: 2927 
    1. Categories:
    2. Regeneration

    Please read this very carefully. It is all very precise. It's helped me greatly. All of this is for your edification, so read carefully. Watchman Nee clarifies all this very well in The Spiritual Man (CFP white cover).

    When God breathed in the breath of life, which directly created man's (Adam's) spirit about six thousand years ago, into the body the soul life was formed so man became a living soul with a spirit and a body. Technically man is not a spirit like the angels, but a living soul with a spirit and body.

    When man is born-again, very specifically, his old spirit is quickened with God's life (eternal life) by the power of the Holy Spirit; he is given a new spirit of eternal life. So visualize this. Man's spirit which is permanently existing (we are made in God's image which we can never cease to exist) is given a new spirit which is eternal life. God has eternal life. He gives us His uncreated life. His Holy Spirit has eternal life. Now man who is born-again has eternal life. Now that a born-again man has eternal life, the Holy Spirit enters in through the window of his conscience and seats within the intuition of his spirit to commune with Him Spirit with spirit and permanently resides there. The Spirit of the Father and the Son could not have entered man's spirit unless God first created a proper abode for which to enter which is by giving man a new spirit of His uncreated life or eternal life.

    So there is the use of the term spirit which is our innermost man; there is the new spirit of eternal life (the word new spirit here connotes uncreated life-God's life); and there is the Holy Spirit (God's life) Who has uncreated life. The best way I know how to describe is to take those Russian Dolls and the small one is your spirit. Put it inside the another doll which gives it eternal life. This eternal life ultimately comes from God because it is God's very life, so place it in another doll (the largest doll represents the Holy Spirit), because God's Holy Spirit comes to indwell that new life. You can reverse the order if you like if you think in terms of God operating in the smallest scales, so His Spirit is the smallest doll which is put in a larger doll of eternal life then put that doll into a larger doll which is your spirit. Then put your sensitive spirit into the more cumbersome soul like a nut and its shell. Some shells have the nut (spirit), a coating (soul) around the nut, and then the outer shell (body). As you get the basic idea: Holy Spirit covers our small spirit in indwells, or from the perspective small things, the Holy Spirit works in the smallest.

    One last clarification. I used the term God's life in two senses. His Holy Spirit and eternal life (or uncreated life). The phrase "God's life" is used in two ways. When it is referring to His Holy Spirit we may say with more clarity "God's Own life". When referring to the life eternal given to man who is saved, take out the word "Own". To distinguish God's eternal life from the eternal life of the saved man, just say: "life of the Holy Spirit" distinguished from "eternal life of the saved man." God's Own life life can also be used in two ways that distinguishes between God's Holy Spirit and the uncreated eternal life of God since it is God's own life. You've always got to be careful in which sense these words are being used.

    I know it's tricky, but God leaves no stoned unturned so we have to be very careful handling how He does things. Print this out and meditate on it several times even over several days if you have to and it will all sink in as it did for me.
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