In the beginning of this series I said there are deep long cycles. Even with a destiny for all of us we are operating in patterns easily recognized from the Word of God. One thing is certain, God will take judgment on the evil of rebellion - Its witchcraft to him. He will strip away everything that violates the first and second commandments (Thou shalt have no other gods & No graven images or likenesses) until the only thing left is HIM. He has always done this. He allows rebellion to run its course until he pulls back hard. Just reading the book of Ezekiel chapter 7 and you can see clearly the pattern. Gold thrown in the street. Money fails. Rebellion results in desolation. It happened before and in rebellion will happen again and again:
Ezekiel 7:10b-22
The rod has budded,
Arrogance has blossomed!
11Violence has arisen
a rod to punish the wicked.
None of the people will be left,
none of that crowd—
none of their wealth,
nothing of value.
12The time has come!
The day has arrived!
Let not the buyer rejoice
nor the seller grieve,
for my wrath is on the whole crowd.
13The seller will not recover
the property that was sold—
as long as both buyer and seller live.
For the vision concerning the whole crowd
will not be reversed.
Because of their sins, not one of them
will preserve their life.
14“ ‘They have blown the trumpet,
they have made all things ready,
but no one will go into battle,
for my wrath is on the whole crowd.
15Outside is the sword;
inside are plague and famine.
Those in the country
will die by the sword;
those in the city
will be devoured by famine and plague.
16The fugitives who escape
will flee to the mountains.
Like doves of the valleys,
they will all moan,
each for their own sins.
17Every hand will go limp;
every leg will be wet with urine.
18They will put on sackcloth
and be clothed with terror.
Every face will be covered with shame,
and every head will be shaved.
19“ ‘They will throw their silver into the streets,
and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean.
Their silver and gold
will not be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord’s wrath.
It will not satisfy their hunger
or fill their stomachs,
for it has caused them to stumble into sin.
20They took pride in their beautiful jewelry
and used it to make their detestable idols.
They made it into vile images;
therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them.
21I will give their wealth as plunder to foreigners
and as loot to the wicked of the earth,
who will defile it.
22I will turn my face away from the people,
and robbers will desecrate the place I treasure.
They will enter it and will defile it.
The result of all this will be a wholesale return to the God of our Fathers. False religions will fade away. There will no hope except a return to the Lord. "Come let us return to the Lord" will be the cry.
There will be no escape. You won't be able to buy your way out of this. The only thing that can save you are your relationships horizontally and vertically. God will be in our midst. Jesus will be manifest. The Holy Spirit filled saint will walk in authority. In the middle of all this will be a recognition of the hopeless worthless materialist thing that costs so many everything, even their lives.
This is how people will face the pain, the difficulty. The key to overcoming is grasping an ancient yet now forgotten way of death and dying and the solid trust we can have in an everlasting Father. Our modern culture no longer faces death with the power of the Holy Ghost and life lived for God. We see our life and one thing and our purpose in God as another. Yet, I can make this promise to you, You will not see death until your eternal purpose in the Father is complete. If you have lost a child or a loved one prematurely, you might question that. But it's true.. you are immortal in the flesh until....
The fear of death has created a culture that grasps at life above its value. How did the martyrs of old face death? Bravely, welcoming, fearlessly, with joy and hope. How did the ancients as they lay dying pronounce blessing to others and then were laid up with their fathers. How do those who fight in wars are often killed for the cause they fight for and die with courage. How did the Apostle Paul or Peter face the executioners? They knew death was coming but with little fear. They had a revelation of what happens at death.
That is part 6 coming up. What happens at the point of death, not after, that's another story. How do people die and what is is like?
2 comments:
Hi Gene
I have ran across several who say a new testament prophet has no right to speak anything but edification. Old testament prophets are not an example. Even though james says take the prophets of old as an example.I usually say did you not see the note in the old testament isiah30 vrs 8-11. To which they usually reply no it's not valid. Basically it boils down to this. The address to the seven churches of old is more detailed and graphic than what the Apostles said in the original language. Concerning rebellion by chrisitians against God. and the address is by Jesus and the Spirit to the churches. I basically tell them really any minister is to speak as God directs and the Word is useful for rebuke correction instruction and exhortation. To which I hear no a prophet only comforts and edifies. Do you have a good scriptural reply for this ? It's like talking to block walls while admittedly thet claim to be christian or even a leaderers. They are usually so lacking in understanding the original languages of the bible and the foundational doctrines. They seem to believe by their profession that the seven churches where not addressed by Jesus or the Spirit because according to the gospels Jesus or the Spirit would not address Christians this way. And a loving Father would not allow it.We are all equal and the fivefold ministry gifts are either entirely not necessary or the pastor can fulfill the place of them all. Any help would be appreciated I am so tired of speaking to professing ministers and Christians who's beliefs are way out of line with what the Word reveals and states. Many go so far as to deny the administrations God sets in the body which is a strong and rich greek Word in detail. It's so distressing I sometimes wonder if 50 % of professing Christians and ministers are even saved. Or so lost in creating and idol out of love they refuse every other aspect of doctrine and Gods attribute. Any commentary to address these issues would be appreciated. It so sickens me sometimes I am to the point now I just want to turn around and walk away leaving them in deception of their own creation. Can I do this in good conscience?
As Dereck Prince once said in the message false religions. When I meet someone who speaks of Gods love until it drips like honey from His tongue. I've learned to ask two things. What's wrong with the man or what's wrong with his doctrine. Any love that denies Gods judgment is a deception judgment is a foundational doctrine to Christianity God is loving but He will also judge His people and at the very least the ones that speak in this manner better at least live out the love of God.to quote a world famous teacher and a world famous preacher both on T.V. daily Quote #18:
“You will never find an example of God punishing a believer for his sins in the new covenant.”
End quote that being said
Pastor addressed this with Please see the following examples of God punishing believers for their sins in the new covenant:
(1) Ananias & Saphira—Acts 5:1-14(2) The Galatian church—Galatians 6:7-8
(3) The promiscuous church member at Corinth—I Corinthians 5:4-5; II Corinthians 2:6
(4) Christian brothers who maintain certain sins—I Corinthians 5:9-13
(5) Hymenaeus & Alexander—I Timothy 1:19-20; II Timothy 4:14
(6) The younger widows—I Timothy 5:11-15
(7) Sinning brothers—I Timothy 5:20
(8) Believers who become lovers of money—I Timothy 6:9-10
(9) Demas—II Timothy 4:10 (see also Colossians 4:14 & Philemon 24 for confirmation he was not only a believer, but a one-time preacher)
(10) Huge segments of the seven churches in Asia (Revelation 2-3)
Also note God’s divine judgment illustrated in the death of Herod (Acts 12:23), Elymas the sorcerer being struck with blindness (Acts 13:8-12) and God’s use of civil government to punish evil (Romans 13:1-6).
There are those that would deny and neglect foundational truths and scriptures to actual christianity
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